


Crossing the Line

by ToastytheToaster



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Reader is very lonely, Reader-Insert, Self-Indulgent, Slight Ephemer/Reader if you squint, Sora is a dork and I’ll love him forever, Spoilers, genderless reader, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-11-13 11:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18030590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToastytheToaster/pseuds/ToastytheToaster
Summary: You have lived here for longer than you can remember. The land where the sky meets the sea, where your reflection is only interrupted by the ripples caused by your footsteps.The Final World.You’ve been alone here for so long that you’ve forgotten what the stars looked like.That is until a young boy suddenly visits and reminds you what hope is.—-Or in which the reader is a Keyblade Wielder who died during the Keyblade War and meets Sora’s constantly wandering heart in the Final World.





	1. The First Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> Song: All Alone (혼자야) - Day6

**** You have lived here for longer than you can remember. The land where the sky meets the sea, where your reflection is only interrupted by the ripples caused by your footsteps.

The Final World.

It’s strange. As far as you could remember, your heart was lost after the Keyblade War, but yet here you were, tied to this world of endless sky with nothing but other souls to accompany you. Chirithy, who was your only other companion, mentioned that it must have been the bonds of your friends keeping you tied to this place. It would probably explain why you had kept your bodily form as well.    
  
The bonds of your friends…

Your thoughts wandered back to your home, Daybreak Town, and to your friends. Did they still remember you? Ephemer… Skuld… They must have, after all they must be what is keeping you tied here for so long. How long has it been anyways? It was hard to keep track of the passage of time when it was always clear, sunny skies in this world.    
  
You realized that you started to miss the stars.

Of course, you have desperately tried to find ways to go back. Chirithy suggested calling out to your bonds with your heart. However, you couldn’t find anything, no light that was familiar and strong enough to pinpoint. With no set hearts to call out to, your Keyblade could not create a portal to guide you home. May your heart be your guiding key…

May your heart be tied here forever.

Then, something strange happened. 

A boy appeared in the Final World. 

He was young, only around 14 or so and looked so lost. From what you could tell, his heart had been released from his body and was now searching for a way to go back. He had unfinished business, a precious light to protect. It was only after closer inspection that you recognized this boy. You had seen his face many times on the medals of power that you used to fight the darkness, the light that you drew from the future. If he was here, in front of you now, then had time really passed for that long now? Did that explain why you could no longer find hearts to reach out to? 

Were Ephemer… And Skuld…?

“Where… Am I?” The young boy asked. From what you could remember, his name was… Sora. Yes, that sounds about right. His bright blue eyes landed on you, widening in surprise. You froze in place, not really used to talking to actual… Well,  _ people _ for once. Not that the Nameless Stars weren’t people but… This person had an actual  _ body _ . 

“Um… This is the Final World. The place between life and death, where hearts go when they are still searching to complete their purpose.” You explained.    
  
Sora let out a hum. “The Final World…” He repeated, crossing his arms over his chest in thought. “Wait! Then does that mean my heart is gone?! How do I get back?! I need to make sure Riku and Kairi are okay!” 

Riku and Kairi… Also familiar names to you… Weren’t they also the denizens of light that you used to draw power from? “U-Um… I’m… Not too sure.” You said awkwardly, rubbing the back of your neck. “I… Haven’t figured out a way to leave myself…” 

“Ah, that’s too bad.” The spiky-haired boy sighed. You couldn’t help but note that he seemed to be rather… Trusting of you. Almost talking like a casual friend instead of a stranger he just met. You watched as he adjusted himself, sitting cross-legged on the ground and you couldn’t help but mimic his movements. Not having guests for so long left you unsure as to how exactly  _ act _ in front of a person. Nameless Stars didn’t really seem to care about body language after all. “Well, I’m sure I’ll figure it out eventually!”

“You’re… Strangely optimistic.” You couldn’t help but say out loud, tilting your head to the side in confusion. 

Sora laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Well, I found that things always seem to work out one way or another! My friends are probably really worried about me though… Since I sort of disappeared on them. Ah!” His eyes lit up and he leaned closer to you, smiling widely. “Maybe they can figure out a way to find us! Then we can head back too!”

“We…?” 

He nodded. “Yeah! I mean, you haven’t found a way to leave yet, right? It must get pretty lonely staying here for so long!” 

Sora was right in that regard. You had no idea how long you had been here and if Sora, a boy who was from the far future in your time, was sitting in front of you right now, it must have been a  _ very _ long time. The Nameless Stars and Chirithy were the only people you could talk to here and now being able to talk to some and look them in the eyes, you realized just how much you missed this. You missed talking with Ephemer and Skuld, you missed being able to laugh and talk with them and just know if you really wanted to you could  _ hug _ them. God, you never realized that you were so  _ touch-starved _ now.    
  
It would be weird to immediately ask for a hug from the 14-year-old kid in front of you though, so you held yourself back. However, you couldn’t help but clutch at your chest, biting your lip to keep from crying. This brought Sora into a panic.

“AH! D-Don’t cry! Did I say something wrong?!” He exclaimed, crawling closer and sitting next to you. He looked around before awkwardly starting to pat you on the back. “Uh… There there…” Sora muttered, his hand falling into a comforting rhythm by rubbing circles on your back. 

The feeling of warmth on your back calmed you slightly and you closed your eyes to help hold back the tears. God, crying in front of a kid only a year younger than you was more than embarrassing. “S-Sorry… It’s just… The thought of being able to leave sounds wonderful.” You gave a sad laugh, wiping any stray tears. “And it’s nice. I haven’t talked to anyone in so long so being able to just see someone was… Overwhelming to say the least. If I still had a heart to connect to then maybe…” 

Your voice trailed off and it clicked. That’s right! Sora still had bonds connected to his! They were still in the worlds beyond this one! 

“Sora! Your heart!” You exclaimed. “If you dive into it… You should be able to feel your friends hearts calling out to you as well!” 

His eyes widened. “You think it’ll work?” 

“It has to!” You urged. “You still have your friends reaching out to you, they are probably still calling for you!” 

Sora looked at you for a moment, eyes almost as blue as the sky staring into your own. He then nodded in determination and took a deep breath, closing his eyes and reaching deep into his own heart.    
  
It was small at first, almost like a gentle wind. But once he focused more on it, he could feel it… A soft, warm light calling out to him. It was familiar and if he reached even further, he could almost touch it. The closer he dived, the greater the pull he could feel on his heart. It was like a hand that was guiding him through the darkness and towards the light, all he needed to do was follow it. 

“I can feel it.” Sora’s eyes opened, a smiling growing on his face as he looked at you. “You were right! I… I think I can go now! Back to my friends!” You smiled back at him, it was one of joy and relief, but underneath you could feel your heart ache ever so slightly. Sora still had a chance, but yours was long gone now. You were jealous, jealous that he still had a chance while you could never see the stars again and you were sad, losing the one friend that had made you actually  _ feel  _ warmth for the longest time. Sora could sense it too, how your smile almost didn’t reach your eyes and his bright smile turned to that of concern. 

“But… What about you?” He asked.

You’re smile faltered and you looked at your lap for a moment. This was probably the last time you would be able to meet someone like Sora… A moment that happened all too fast and was ending all too soon. But, if the power that you had used was any implication, it was that Sora was an important force to fight the darkness. You couldn’t be selfish and hold him back just for your own happiness. He had friends that needed him, friends that he needed to protect. So when you looked up at him once more, you forced a smile to try and reassure him. “I’ll be fine. You have friends who are waiting for you. I won’t be able to follow but, I am thankful for this small moment you were able to give me… Thank you, Sora.”

Your reassurance didn’t seem to entirely work, Sora’ frown only deepening. “I will find a way to bring you back.” He said with determination. The full honesty and promise in it threw you back and you could only stare at him with surprise. “I’ll bring you back and then you could meet all my friends! I’ll show you all the worlds I’ve been to and you could try a ton of the food too! You’re probably hungry since there doesn’t seem to be any kitchens here but-”

You burst out laughing, clutching at your sides as you desperately tried to calm the laughter that echoed throughout the Final World. Sora stared at you, wide-eyed before he pouted. “What’s so funny?” He demanded.

You wiped a stray tear from your eye, your laughter now calming down to small giggles. His pure and child-like determination was infectious, and you couldn’t help but feel a tiny glimmer of hope. Maybe it wasn’t the end for you… “Sorry, it’s been… A while since I’ve laughed like that.” You said, smile still dancing on your lips. “But alright. I’ll be holding you to that then, Sora.” 

He smiled, laughing ever so slightly. “It’s a promise!” He held out his pinky finger to you. You looked at the little finger, smirking at the childish gesture but complied anyways, linking fingers and sealing the deal. 

Sora left after that, his body forming into a bright ball of light and disappearing up into the endless sky. You watched it go as far as you could until you couldn’t see it anymore amongst the blue. With a small smile you laid back, the ground beneath you breaking into small ripples from your movement. It was at that time that you heard a small  _ poof! _ Next to you as your Chirithy appeared, also looking up at the sky. 

“A warrior of the light… I’m surprised he could just come and go from this world so freely.” It commented. 

You let out a hum in reply, rolling on your side and grabbing Chirithy, holding it close to your chest and nuzzling your face into its fur. It let out a yelp of surprise, squirming a little bit before settling down with a sigh. “What’s got you so happy?” It asked, giving a small pat on your arms. You buried your face deeper into its fur, trying to hide the smile growing on your lips. For the first time in forever, you had hope. You had hope of coming back from this purgatory. 

“Mmm… Nothing.”

\-----

As Sora followed towards the light, he let out a gasp of realization. “Ah! I forgot to ask their name! Or… Well rather how they know mine!” He slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead and let out a groan of frustration. Sora looked behind him, the Final World already lost in the darkness around him. “Oh well, I guess I’ll have to ask the next time I see them.” He said, clutching a fist in determination. “First things first… Saving Riku and Kairi.”


	2. A Familiar Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It brings back memories, both good and bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: This is Home - Cavetown

The next time Sora visited was a lot sooner than you expected. He still looked the same, which means time didn’t pass that long, but you sensed there was something different about him this time. It was like his heart was slowly being pieced together, like a person solving a puzzle. There were some things still missing… But you could tell with a little bit of time they would all fit eventually. 

 

“Here again…” You heard him mutter and then turn to look at you. When you both met eyes he smiled widely, running up to you and grasping your hands in his. “It’s you again!” He exclaimed. “I’ve been waiting to talk to you again at some point!”

 

“Sora…?” You asked, still not fully believing that he had somehow found a way back to this place. You nearly flinched when his hands grabbed yours, not sure how to feel about how they fit perfectly with yours. He wasn’t lost, strange enough. It was more like his soul was sleeping… And was finding rest here in the Final World. “But how…?”

 

Sora let go, a small pout on his face. “Hmm… I’m not too sure…” He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back a little, face deep in thought. “My heart just sort of… Fell back here. It wasn’t like last time when I released Kairi and the other princesses from my heart. I just sort of… Followed the light to here.” 

 

You weren’t so sure that you understood it yourself, there was still so much about light and darkness that you had yet to understand. Not including that Sora was an enigma all on his own either. His case was unique and you couldn’t help but scratch your head over it constantly. Maybe his bonds were just that strong…?

 

“Ah!” Sora’s sudden explanation broke you out of your thoughts and you turned to look at him once more. “I forgot to ask your name! As well as how exactly you know mine!”

 

“Ah… Right.” You realized you had let his name slip the first time you both met without any introduction. Not only that but you failed to introduce yourself as well. “Um… I am a Keyblade wielder that was from long ago… Back in my time we used the power from the future to fight the darkness. One of those powers was you… So that is why I knew your name.”

 

Sora let out a hum in reply. “I don’t really get it… But sounds reasonable enough to me!” You almost fell to the ground from this boy’s optimism. He just took everything in stride didn’t he? “So, then what’s your name?”

 

“My name… It’s [y/n].” It felt strange to hear your own name after so long, it felt even stranger to hear Sora say it himself. He repeated it a few times, his face scrunched up in focus as he made sure to memorize it. The gesture made you crack a small smile, a tiny giggle bubbling up in your throat.

 

Once he had it down he smiled at you, his smile widening a little more at your laugh. “Great! So we’re no longer strangers now!” He exclaimed. “So… What exactly do you do here?” He looked around the area. It was rather beautiful… But there didn’t really seem to be a lot here. 

 

“Sometimes I talk to the Nameless Stars or Chirithy, or summon dummy Heartless to fight, other times I just wander.” You explained, looking back up at the sky. 

 

“Nameless Stars?” 

 

You nodded. “Hearts like you who wandered here with unfinished business. Though, they take the form of tiny stars rather than a full form like you do.”

 

“And Chirithy?”

 

You smiled, calling out to your tiny companion. It appeared with a small  _ poof! _ landing at your feet. The sudden appearance made Sora yelp, stumbling back a little. “My companion. They’ve been with me for as long as I can remember.” 

 

“Is this boy really a Keyblade wielder?” Chirithy asked. “He seems like a dunce to me.”

 

“Chirithy shush.” You said, shooing him away. Once he disappeared, you looked up to see Sora pouting at you and you smiled sheepishly. “They have high expectations of everyone I meet.” 

 

Sora merely shrugged, smiling again. It seemed this boy was just all smiles and sunshine. If you didn’t know better, you would say that it was always daytime because he was here. “Anyways, I think I’ll be here for a while… Maybe.” Sora sighed. “Like… I’m just in a really long dream right now… But! That means we have time!” 

 

“Time? Time for what?” You frowned.

 

“To hang out of course!” When you only blinked at him, Sora pouted. “Oh come on! I’ve been wanting to see you again after so long! We finally get to talk and get to know each other! Don’t you want to know what is going on in the world right now?” 

 

You have to admit that it has been a while since you’ve heard of such tales of the outside world. Many of the Nameless Stars only focused on finding what they lost and mostly begged you to help them. It… Made your heart ache when you couldn’t do anything. It became a struggle to sometimes not fall into your own sorrow, Chirithy was the only one to keep you grounded. But now, this time was different. Now you had Sora to keep you company, and the thought made you smile.

 

“Alright. Tell me everything!” You exclaimed, smiling. 

 

The both of you spent the next moments just talking. You learned about Sora’s journey to find his friends and how he closed the door to Kingdom Hearts. At first you were confused, as that was a different Kingdom Hearts than the one you knew, but Chirithy later explained that Kingdom Hearts was one made from the hearts of the worlds, rather than the one you knew in your past. Makes… Sense kind of? 

 

You learned more about Kairi and Riku and the little island they all grew up on. You learned about the various worlds like Neverland, Atlantica and even places you’ve seen before like Wonderland. It was during this storytelling that you realized that Sora was pretty terrible at being consistent with his tales. He would go off topic almost every time, instantly jumping to side stories once he remembered them. You didn’t seem to mind though, you hung on every word and every syllable. 

 

Eventually you told Sora about your time. About Ephemer, Skuld, the Dandelions and even the Foretellers. When the story got close to keyblade War and your eventual death, you quieted down. It had been a while since you thought about dying and while it had been so long ago, the feeling was still there. Your fear, your sorrow, your anger, just thinking back brought all these feelings back to the surface once more. Your home… Your friends… You could never see them again… 

 

A soft hand was placed over yours and you looked up through your teary vision at clear, blue eyes looking back at you. Sora’s hand adjusted, now fully holding it in his and with a gentle tug he pulled you close to him. Your head rested on his shoulder, eyes staring past him as his arms wrapped around your waist. “You’ll meet them again someday.” Sora muttered, his head nuzzling into your shoulder as he hugged you tighter. “Your hearts are still connected… Even if you can’t feel it anymore it is still there.” 

 

It took you a moment to process what was going on, the feeling of a simple hug was just so  _ foreign _ to you now that you were just frozen in place. But it was  _ warm _ and it was  _ safe _ , like blankets fresh out of the laundry. You hiccuped, memories starting to flash through your mind as this familiar warmth overtook you. 

 

Ephemer shaking hands with you.

 

Skuld sitting with you at the fountain.

 

You holding up your Keyblade as Chirithy looked at you with pride.

 

Your Keyblade being lowered and pointed at your own friends. People you got close to from other Unions.

 

Each Foreteller looming over you with such menacing power.

 

Your body on the ground as you stared up into that cursed heart-shaped moon. 

  
Your hiccups built up into sniffles, then sobs, then a loud wail. Your hands reached up and grasped onto Sora’s jacket as you cried. As you really  _ cried _ in forever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This a self-indulgent fanfic to help me cope with KH3 and the ending. I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Also if it wasn’t clear, this is currently Sora from KH Re:CoM right as he was put to sleep (ﾉ*ﾟｰﾟ)ﾉ


	3. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite your best efforts, you weren't sure you could deny it any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: I'm In Love - Lady Jane x Jungkook

You first realized Sora was growing taller when you both sparred.

 

Sparring with your Keyblades was one of the things you both did to kill time as well as hone your skills. However, since you haven’t had an actual sparring partner in some time, Sora was easily kicking your ass. You eventually got tired of being overpowered that you resorted to dirtier tactics. For example, your height.

 

You had about a few good inches over the 14-year-old, so whenever he would get too close to attack you, you would simply slam your hand on his head to stop him and dodge before his Keyblade could connect with you. Sora would protest, saying that was cheating but you would simply reply,

 

“It’s just tactics~”

 

This worked for a while, until you slowly started to realize that your arm would slowly reach higher and higher to touch the top of Sora’s head. It didn’t click until you held out your arm in instinct to try and grab Sora’s head to stop him that he had an inch or two on  _ you  _ now. 

 

He grabbed at your arm, pulling your body close before pinning you on the ground with a triumphant look on his face. “Gotcha!” He laughed as you pouted up at the boy. Now that you looked at him more, it wasn’t just his height that was different… He also looked a little more older now. Maybe… Around 15 now? When did he catch up to your age? And why was he still aging while you weren’t?

 

When you brought this question up to Chirithy, the young Spirit hypothesized that it was probably because your heart was tied to this world. Time didn’t seem to pass the same as it did in the worlds beyond and thus you must have been stuck at this age when you died. Since Sora’s heart was currently only residing in this world until he woke up, his body still aged. 

 

Or… Something like that.

 

But that posed a different question… Had it really been that long since Sora had come to the Final World? All this time and the two of you still couldn’t figure out a way to get you out of the Final World. 

 

“Maybe it really is hopeless.” You sighed, laying back on the ground, ripples extending from your form. It had been a few days since your last sparring session and you had spent the whole time discussing ideas to try and find a way to go back home. At this point you were just exhausted about thinking about it for so long. 

 

Sora shook his head. “Oh come on! There has to be something we missed!” He crawled over to you, his head blocking your view if the sky above. “Have a little more faith!”

 

You stared up at him for a moment. Was… Was his eyes always so blue? The more you stared, the more you could feel heart start to rise up to your cheeks. In a quick flush of panic, you reached up and tugged harshly on one of Sora’s spiky locks, causing the male to let out a yelp of pain. 

 

“What was that for?!” He exclaimed, rubbing his head as he backed away. The boy flinched when you sat up, arms instantly up in defense in case you tried to pull another trick. You simply faced away from him, hands on your cheeks as you did your best to will the redness away. After a second or two, you took your hands and slapped them against your cheeks, finally snapping you and your strange feelings back into place. 

 

“Hey wanna play hide and seek?” You suddenly asked. Sora looked at you, both confused and intrigued. When he took too long to answer you sighed, a small smirk on your face. “Winner gets a pretty sweet reward!” 

 

That lit his eyes up and your smirk widened at his childish demeanor. “What is it?!” He exclaimed, already getting up on his feet. You followed suit, dusting off your clothes (though there wasn’t really to in a world like this). 

 

You pressed your finger against your lips and winked. “It’s a secret!” 

 

That characteristic pout landed on his lips, an expression that you’ve come to find rather cute nowadays. “Aw… Alright fine! But where exactly are we going to play hide and seek? No offense, but there isn’t really anywhere  _ to _ hide.” Sora motioned to the vast emptiness around the both of you, but you still wore a confident expression on your face. 

 

“Here, lemme show you!” You took his hand in yours, a motion that you were slowly starting to grow fond of, and walked a short distance. Summoning the Starlight Keyblade, you pointed it straight in front of you as light gathered around the tip of the weapon before shooting out in a small ray of light. There was a bright flash and all of a sudden, a spiky, pink sphere appeared in front of you. 

 

“Woaaaaaaah!” Sora exclaimed, letting go of your hand and running to the strange sphere. “What is it?”

 

“A portal. There is an area of this world that haven’t really visited yet.” When you saw Sora’s face light up in excitement, you shook your head. “It’s not that different from this world, but there are a lot of hiding places.” You walked closer to the portal and placed your hand on it, Sora watching and following suit. When that same bright light engulfed the two of you, you could feel your body being pulled into the portal. 

 

When the light died down, you and Sora were standing on a white platform. Many other floating platforms and structure surrounded the two of you and you could only smirk at Sora’s look of awe. “What do you mean this isn’t that different?! This place is awesome!” He laughed, jumping off the large building they were on and free falling to the ground. You laughed as well, jumping off and nose diving straight for the ground. The wind whipped around your body, your hair flying back behind you wildly. It was rush of adrenaline that you hadn’t felt for a long time, and like everything else, seemed to be caused just by being with Sora.

 

You landed next to said boy, who was already rocking back and forth on his heels, eager to get out and explore this place. “Hm… Alright then, you’re it first!” You exclaimed. “You gotta find me and catch me!” Before he could even answer, you already ran off to hide.

 

Unlike Sora, you knew this place like the back of your hand. Before Sora came, you spent your time just exploring and mapping out this place to pass the time. 

 

Which means you knew where the best hiding spots were. 

 

You could hear Sora’s disappointed whine before his sigh of acceptance. Then, his voice started to count down and you could feel your heart leap with excitement. It was different playing hide-and-seek with another person. You tried doing it with Chirithy, but because of your bond finding each other just became too easy (that and Chirithy’s teleporting made things  _ so  _ unfair). You settled for a small crook underneath one of the platforms, pulling your legs to your chest and just listened. Sora’s voice shouting out the final number made you shiver with anticipation and you did your best to listen for his footsteps.  

 

There were moments where Sora came close to your hiding spot, his footsteps echoing literally next to you. But you stayed quiet, biting your lip to try and hush your breathing. You were always good at playing hide-and-seek, especially when you would run around with the younger kids at Daybreak Town. So suffice to say, you were a master of this game. You could tell that Sora was slowly starting to get frustrated now, especially after the third groan of frustration that you heard in the distance. You bet he had that same pout again and was scratching his head in confusion. 

 

Since when did you start to watch Sora so closely?

 

You decided that waiting around for him to find you was going to take forever, so why not make this game a little more interesting?

 

You popped your head out from your hiding place, looking around until you heard a voice behind you. “FINALLY!” Sora exclaimed as he slowly walked towards you. “Alright it’s my turn to hide now! You are  _ so  _ getting payback for-”

 

“Ah ah ah~!” You said in a singsong voice, holding your arm out to stop the boy in place. “I said you had to find  _ and  _ catch me. I still haven’t been caught yet~” You smirked.

 

Sora stared at you, flabbergasted and starting to get more than a little annoyed. “Oh you’re in for it now! GET OVER HERE!” He exclaimed, breaking out into a run towards you.

 

You let out a squeal of laughter, turning around and starting to run away. While Sora was a lot more stronger than you, besting you more and more frequently each time you sparred, your speed was something he struggled to match. You looked over your shoulder, seeing Sora’s determined smirk. You probably mirrored his expression as well, lungs starting to burn from all the running. 

 

But your plan wasn’t just to run the whole time. No, you were searching for something in particular. Aha! Your gaze narrowed on a floating box to your left. Giving one more glance over your shoulder to make sure Sora was still on your heels, you did a quick turn towards that box.

 

“Trying tricks now are we?” Sora called out teasingly. His footsteps sounded a lot more faster now and you could feel him gaining closer and closer on your trail. 

 

Almost…. There!

 

You summoned your Keyblade and wacked at the box, the object growing a soft light before the whole structure you both stood on started to rumble. Sora skidded to a halt, the sudden earthquake causing him to focus on now falling. “What the-?” He looked up at you, confusion all on his face, but all you could do was smirk in reply and brace yourself.

 

Suddenly, the whole structure started to rotate on its side. Gravity took its hold and eventually you lost your footing, starting to fall to the clouds below. You let out a laugh as you heard Sora start to scream in panic, turning in the air to face him as you both continued to fall.

 

“You’re absolutely CRAZY!” Sora yelled. You watched as he angled his body towards another platform nearby, safely grabbing hold and pulling himself up to safety. You did the same, nearly missing another platform, rolling right when your feet touched the ground to prevent any damage to your being. Your breathing was heavy and you instantly sat up to look over at your friend. Despite his accusatory voice, his face had a huge smile on it. You couldn’t help but laugh, Sora joining in eventually as you both just rode the adrenaline in your bodies.

 

“Alright, if you want to play that way, then I guess I’m going to have to pull all the stops!” Sora exclaimed as he got back on his feet, punching a fist into his hand with determination. 

 

You got up as well, your smile turning into a cocky smirk. “Just so you know, I’m not going easy on you!”

 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

 

And what turned into a simple game of hide-and-seek evolved into an intense game of tag. Sora quickly got the hang of using the rotating buildings to his advantage, using the momentum as a burst of speed to catch up to you ever so slowly. There were times where he could just barely catch you, but you would dodge out of the way just in time and the chase would continue. You could feel your lungs starting to burn, your legs ache as you pushed your whole being for the first time in so long. The adrenaline was addicting and your mind was set on instinct rather than logic. However, your stamina couldn’t last much longer and that small opening of you trying to catch your breath was all Sora needed.

 

“GOTCHA!” He lunged right at you, the force knocking the both of you into a tangled mess of limbs and laughter. “GOD! You’re a pain to chase after!” Sora groaned, as he adjusted so you were both in a comfortable position. Said position was both of you laying on the ground in each others arms, still a giggling mess.

 

“I told you that I wasn’t going to go easy on you!” You laughed.

 

Sora rolled his eyes, though his smile was still there. “Well  _ yeah _ but you didn’t need to be so stubborn!” Once the laughter died down he smiled, an excited curiosity shining in his eyes. “So, what’s my prize?”

 

That was when you realized, well, you didn't actually  _ have  _ a prize. It was mostly a ploy to get Sora to change the subject and focus on something else that wasn’t your permanent doom in this purgatory. “Ah… Well…” Now that the adrenaline had calmed down, it allowed you to focus on other things. Those things being the position you were in right now. 

 

Your arm was gently rested on Sora’s waist, the other one placed against his chest. Meanwhile, his arm wrapped you close, hand settling on the small of your back while you used his arm as a pillow. You both just so  _ close,  _ closer than the two of you had ever been before. Maybe it was leftover adrenaline, maybe it was just because you were so lonely, but you couldn’t help but lean in, your body now flush against his.

 

“Uh…” Sora stuttered, hands lifting up awkwardly much to your disappointment.

 

“This is your reward.” You said simply, nuzzling your face into his shirt. “A hug from your best friend.” 

 

Sora laughed nervously. “Doesn’t seem like all that great a reward to me.”

 

You scoffed. “If you don’t like it, then pull away.” In the back if your mind, you begged him to stay. You begged him to wrap his arms around you again just so that feeling if warmth and security could come back. With how long Sora just laid there frozen, you almost thought he would. However, you felt arms wrap around your small form and pull you closer. A nose nuzzled into your hair and sighed. 

 

“What am I going to do with you…” Sora muttered. 

 

In most cases, this wouldn’t really mean anything to you. After all, you hugged people like Skuld, Ephemer and even Chirithy at ton of times. However, this one felt different. Was it… Because it was Sora? 

 

You never really thought about love. You’ve seen it and how precious it is, especially from people like Belle and the Beast. But it wasn’t really something you delved deep into. You loved your friends platonically, as one does, but this type of love… Felt different. Like something deeper than just caring for friends. 

 

Sora felt it too. He couldn’t place a name to it and felt so different from when he was with Riku and Kairi… Especially Kairi. With Kairi he felt strong, with Riku, he felt confident but with you… With you he felt…  _ Safe. _ There wasn’t any worry about Heartless or darkness taking over when you were with him. You just seemed to take his anxieties and worries and wash them away. 

 

For you… Sora made you feel together. Your loneliness, which had plagued you for so long no longer appeared anymore. He was here for you and you have come to long for his company more and more. 

 

It was at that moment that a singular question crossed both you and Sora’s minds.

 

_ Were you… In love? _


	4. The Second Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things must come to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Butterfly - BTS

“Your clothes are getting small.” 

 

It was hard to tell how much time had passed in this world, but judging by how much Sora had grown it was a long while. He seemed to be about your age now, if not a bit older and made sure you knew it. 

 

“Thanks, mom, I’ll just buy new ones right now.” He smirked. However, he still looked down at his clothes, pulling at his jacket and frowning a little. “I wonder when I’ll be able to head back…” 

 

Despite how much you didn’t want to think about it, you knew that one fact was clear: Sora would have to leave and you would have to stay here. You would be left all alone once again. The more you spent time with him, the more you wanted him to stay. You wanted so desperately to beg him to stay, to have him be with you forever. But that was selfish. He still had people who needed him. Donald, Goofy, Riku…

 

Kairi…

 

You figured that what connection Sora and Kairi had was strong, what with the way he always seemed to light up whenever he talked about her. He even shyly mentioned how he drew him sharing a paopu fruit with her at their secret base. It was clear that there was some sort of relationship that they shared. Something that you and him could never achieve. After all, they had a whole lifetime of moments together. What did you and Sora have that could compare to that?

 

And yet you still felt things for him. What was wrong with you?

 

“Your heart is just longing for companionship.” Your Chirithy explained to you one day. Sora was taking a nap after another sparring session so you had time to talk to them privately. “After being alone for long that’s probably what it is. It’s not anything romantic.”

 

But even having heard that, you knew that wasn’t the case. If Ephemer or Skuld or anyone that wasn’t Sora was here… You wouldn’t be feeling this way. And eventually… You would be left alone with your feelings, Sora having no idea about how you felt for him so deeply.

 

“Hey, Sora…” You said suddenly one day. He was swinging his Keyblade, practicing his stances and you were watching him. He hummed in reply, looking over at you and blinked. You had a serious expression on your eyes, one he had never really seen on you before. Your cheeks were flushed a soft pink and for some reason, Sora’s heart was starting to race, his cheeks also growing into a bright red.

 

You took a deep breath. “I… I’ve been meaning to tell you… That I…” Your voice trailed off as you looked at him. His face showed surprise, cheeks an adorable red that you just wanted to kiss.

 

_ God you wanted to kiss him. _

 

“I…” His eyes looked concerned, a little bit hesitant but… He also looked… Hopeful? Were you just seeing things? Did he also…?

 

You gulped, finally breaking your gaze. “I think your form is a little off.”

 

“Ah…” Sora looked away as well and maybe your heart was being a little hopeful when you thought he sounded disappointed. “Wait, no my form is fine! What are you talking about?!”

 

You stood up, walking over and starting to fix his mistakes. “No its not! See here…” You were thankful for the distraction, and spent the rest of that time laughing as you teased Sora’s poor form and his pouting face. But during a short break, all your feelings were brought up again as Sora lowered his Keyblade and turned towards you suddenly with such determination. “[y/n]!” 

 

The way he said your voice made your heart leap up to your throat and you slowly turned towards him, your face red with embarrassment. “Y-Yeah?” 

 

His mouth opened and closed like a fish as he tried to form his words. You fully turned towards him, getting a clearer look of his expression. Sora looked unsure, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. He then sighed, closing his eyes. “You… Your hair is a little…” He did a motion with his hair.

 

“Oh…” You replied, trying to hide the disappointment in your voice. You copied his motion, but as he watched you he huffed in annoyance.

 

“Here. Let me do it.” Suddenly, the distance between the two of you closed and Sora’s tall figure was close to yours. He reached up with a gentle hand and brushed a strand of your hair behind your ear. The motion wouldn’t have meant much to you, but the closeness and the way his hand lingered, did things to your heart that you were desperately trying to squash.

 

“Th-Thanks…?” You laughed nervously. “I… I would have got it eventually.” 

 

Sora blinked, his face turning a deep shade of red as he instantly pulled away. “R-Right. A-Anyways I’m just going to… Awkwardly walk in the opposite direction.” 

 

You nodded, trying to avoid looking at him. “R-Right… You… Do that.”

 

When Sora was a good distance away, Chirithy popping next to you made you jump out of your skin. “GYAH!” You exclaimed, hugging yourself in fear.

 

“It’s obvious, y’know. That you both really care of each other.” Chirithy said, looking up at you with a raised eyebrow. “Why not just get on with it already and tell him how you feel?”

 

Once your racing heart calmed, you looked down at the young Spirit. You gave them a small, sad smile before looking back at Sora’s figure slowly growing smaller and smaller. 

 

“If I tell him…” You said softly. “Then it’ll only confirm what we both feel for each other. He’ll want to stay because he cares for me… And then his heart will be further tied to this place because of me.” You raised your hand, clutching onto your chest. “He still has people that need him… That need him more than I do. If I tell him, he’ll feel guilt for staying with me and I don’t want to make this any harder for him.” Your hand over your heart tightened. “So… I’m making the decision for him… So that I don’t burden him any more than I already have.”

 

Chirithy looked up at you for a while before sighing. It walked closed to you and you bent down to its level. “There you go again, thinking about others instead of yourself.”

 

You gave it a small smile, tilting your head to the side. “But that’s why you care for me so much, right?” When you were answered with a tiny scoff you could only chuckle in reply.

 

———

 

“His memories are almost complete but…”

 

“But?”

 

“There are memories that keep on being added and… I can’t seem to find how to connect them.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“It’s like… His heart is creating new memories while its in sleep.”

 

“Does he need those new memories?”

 

“Well, no but-“

 

“Then I don’t see any reason to keep them. Sora needs to wake up soon. We will need him for the coming battle.”

 

“I understand, but I-“

 

“We  _ need _ Sora and cannot afford any other complications. Is that clear?”

 

“... Crystal.”

 

———

 

“What do you miss most about your world?”

 

You blinked at Sora’s out of the blue question, turning your head to look at him. You were both lying on the ground on opposite sides, just watching the clouds overhead move on by. Your heads were next to each other and just a tiny move would almost make your lips brush against his ear. 

 

“I miss the different types of day.” You admitted, looking back up at the sky. “I miss stars… And sunsets… And I miss ice cream.”

 

Sora glanced at you, eyebrow raised teasingly. “Ice cream?”

 

“Yeah!” You laughed. “There was this one I shared with Chirithy one time… I can’t remember what it was but… It was salty, yet sweet. I’ve never been able to find one that I’ve loved more than that one.”

 

For some reason, the flavor sounded familiar to Sora. He wasn’t sure  _ how _ as he had never actually had ice cream like that before but, something about the way you described it seemed so recognizable to him. He brushed the thought away, pushing it to the back of his mind until he had more time to think about it later. 

 

“What about you?”

 

The question took Sora by a little surprise as he glanced at you, seeing you still stare up at the clouds. Your face was unreadable, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a reason you asked him back. “I…” His voice trailed off as he focused on the clouds, watching them move endlessly. “I miss my island…” Sora had told you once before about his home, Destiny Islands. From how he described it, it sounded absolutely beautiful. White sands, clear ocean waters, a bright sun every day. Even at this moment, Sora had yet to return to it. No wonder he missed his island so much.

 

“Once we leave here, I’ll promise to show you that place too.” He commented, a wide smile on his face. Right… He promised to help you leave this world. The more you thought about it, the more you felt that was another promise that wouldn’t be fulfilled anytime soon.

 

Another broken promise…

 

Ephemer had promised to meet you again that day, but never came. The closest you came to seeing him was through dreams and now… Now you’re here. You had held on for a while, thinking that maybe he would appear in this world and finally that promise would come.

 

But he never did.

 

And you were still alone.

 

But your heart was weak and still clinging onto one last hope that maybe  _ maybe _ Sora was different. Maybe he would keep his promise. You knew you had to be rational, but Sora’s optimism was addicting and you wanted to just drown in it. 

 

“Hey Sora… You know… You don’t have to keep that promise.” You said, sitting up to look down at the male. “Besides, I’ve already come to terms with the fact that I’m not leaving this place.”

 

Sora sat up as well, his smile furrowing into a frown. “What do you mean? Of course you’re leaving! 

 

You shook your head. “I don’t think I can. My heart… There is such a strong tie to here, like I keep waiting for something or someone…”

 

“Then stop waiting! I’m here now! Focus on  _ me! _ ” Sora shouted, grabbing you by your shoulders. You stared at him with wide eyes as he looked at you, his clear blue irises burning deep into yours. You felt like you were being analyzed from the inside out and it sent a chill down your spine. Pleasant? Unpleasant? You couldn’t tell. There was a beat of silence before he started to speak again. “Have I ever let you down?” You thought for a moment, hesitating to answer, but your silence was all he needed. “Then why would I start now? I need you to believe in me, like I believe in you!” He smiled, squeezing your shoulders gently. “I believe that you can leave this world!”

 

As those words left his lips, it was like the whole world started to shake. Sora’s body started to glow and his eyes widened anxiously. “I will get you out of here, okay?! I promise!” He exclaimed. He started to slowly rise into the air, the only thing keeping him tethered to this world being your intertwined hands. His form was slowly fading into bright light, showing that it was his time to go. 

 

You watched as he rose higher and higher, now standing on your tiptoes to try and keep him with you longer. Just a little longer! Why couldn’t your time together be just a fraction of a second longer?! 

 

“[y/n]! This isn’t goodbye okay?!” He yelled, squeezing your hand tightly. “I’ll be back! I’ll come back for you!” 

 

You looked up at him helplessly, watching as his body was completely gone from your sight. Your heart ached and tears rimmed your eyes. “I know you will!” You called back, breaking out into a sob. Sora’s desperate face turned into a wide smile, his cheerful chuckle ringing in your ears.

 

“One last thing, [y/n].” He said softly yet sweetly. “I-”

 

But before he could finish his sentence, he was gone, a tiny light disappearing into the sky. You watched the light disappear just as it did before, but for some reason you didn’t have the same hope you once did. For some reason… You believe that would be the last time you would see Sora for a while.

 

\-------

 

“Sora!”

 

“Wake up, Sora!”

 

A loud hiss echoed in Sora’s ears, waking him up from what felt like a really  _ really _ long nap. He yawned, popping a few joints as he stretched. Cracking his eyes open, his blue irises landed on familiar figures. “Donald! Goofy!” Sora exclaimed, hopping out of what appeared to be some strange pod and colliding into his two best friends. They all laughed together, joining hands and dancing around with no care in the world. 

 

Sora felt a small weight on his shoulder, turning to see Jiminy Cricket pop out from the hood of his jacket. “That was some nap!” The tiny insect yawned. 

 

“You mean… We went to sleep?” Sora frowned, crossing his arms in thought. As they discussed and tracked back their journey up until now, Sora couldn’t help but feel he was forgetting something. Something… Important. 

 

“Sora?”

 

“You okay over there?”

 

Donald and Goofy’s concerned voices broke Sora out of his thoughts and he blinked, feeling some foreign substance on his cheek. He frowned, reaching up to brush his cheek and find… Tears?

 

“What’s wrong?” Donald asked, looking up at the young male.

 

Sora shook his head, wiping the rest of his tears. “I don’t know but… My heart feels heavy. Like I left something important behind…” He pressed his hand against his chest, continuing to feel his heart ache. “... Well, whatever it is I’m sure we’ll figure it out when we explore more of this place!” He exclaimed, nodding with determination. 

 

Donald and Goofy exchanged looks, the latter shrugging before turning to Sora. “Lead the way then!” He chuckled.

 

Sora flashed a bright smile. “Right! Let’s go!” And with a dash, they were off to their next adventure. 


	5. Fragments of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the mind forgets, the heart remembers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Sofa - Crush

Even after exploring all of Twilight Town, the feeling never left Sora’s heart. And for some reason, staring at the sunset made his heart ache all the more. 

 

_ I miss stars… And sunsets… _

 

He doesn’t remember saying that, much less anyone talking to him about that. However, that phrase seemed to stick to him and it would always scratch at the back of his mind whenever he saw sunsets. It was an annoying tick and no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, it wouldn’t go away. 

 

Why couldn’t he figure out what he was forgetting? It was like his heart was screaming at him to remember. But he could never grasp it tight enough to figure out what it was. It was almost like grabbing fistfuls of sand but each time he did, it slipped right through his fingers effortlessly. He was struggling and everything about it frustrated him. Donald and Goofy could see how much it tormented Sora as well, watching his sad expression every time he looked up at the sky. 

 

They brought it up to him a couple of times, but he would only say the same thing he did when they first woke up, that he was forgetting something… Something very important to him. But he couldn’t dwell on it much longer, there were other matters to take care of, like finding Riku and that business with Organization 13… In fact, so much happened that he slowly forgot more and more about what tiny fragments he had and all that was left was the tiny aches in his heart. He concluded that maybe it was Roxas, who hurt from having so much taken away from him. After all, with their hearts now linked, it only made sense. 

 

But Sora couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that wasn’t the right answer. 

 

When all was said and done, Sora had come to learn about their true mission and what was at stake. Xehanort and the Keyblade War… A part of him couldn’t help but feel he had heard of the Keyblade War before, however, and that small ache in his heart came once more. Was Roxas worried about Xehanort? Or the Keyblade War? That must be it. That had to be it. Thus began Sora and Riku’s training to become Keyblade Masters. It was a long and difficult test and for some reason a strange cloaked figure with white hair and dark skin would taunt Sora every time he visited a different world. It was frustrating him to no end.

 

“Do you even remember? The memories that sleep within your own heart?” The young man said as he stood in the flowery fields of the world of Fantasia. 

 

Sora looked at him in confusion. “The memories in my heart…?” He raised a hand and pressed it against his chest.

 

“Of your time, between the realms of life and death. Where you would be linked through your visits to the Station of Awakening.” The young man smirked and Sora just wanted to smack that look off his face with his Keyblade. “Such a shame, they’ve been waiting for so long for you to return.”

 

Sora grit his teeth, summoning his Keyblade. “What do you mean? Who is waiting?! Just tell me already!” But all the young male would do was smirk and disappear into wisps of black smoke. Sora let out a cry of frustration, running and slashing at the smoke despite the figure already disappearing. All these cryptic signs and sentences were starting to piss him off and his desperation to find out why he always felt like he lost something so  _ precious _ to him was starting to drive him insane. 

 

So when he reached the sleeping world of The World That Never Was, he was craving for answers to his misery. It wasn’t just the ache in his heart as well, there were more and more figures who he had never met before. A blue haired woman and a brown haired man… A young boy who looked like Roxas and a young girl with short, black hair. Sora continuously dove deeper and deeper in the sleeping realm, slowly being consumed by his need for answers. 

 

And it all snapped when he saw that new figure as well.

 

It was someone he had also never met before, but one that just from looking into their eyes, increased the pain in his heart tenfold. They looked at him with a gentle expression, a soft smile on their lips that Sora knew hid a large amount of pain and loneliness. He wasn’t sure how he could tell such a thing, it was if he had known this person for a long time that he could read them so well. Like a dear friend who had moved out of town, or maybe even something more. Sora approached the figure, taking their hands in his. For some reason, he could also remember them being slightly taller than him before, did he grow that much since he last saw them? 

 

He wanted to ask so many questions, like who they were and why was it that now they were together like this that he never wanted to let go of them again. However, when he opened his mouth, it wasn’t a question that came out but rather an apology.

 

“I-I’m sorry…” Sora croaked, and he realized that tears were building up once more. It had been a long time since he cried like this and the feeling could only remind him of the times he spent staring at the sunset in Twilight Town. “I promised… I promised that I would take you with me… And now I forgot about you and I just… I’ve left you alone for so long now.” He grasped their hands tightly. “Please… Say something… I need to hear your voice… I need to remember you…”

 

It was a quiet plea, a call of help to the silent figure who continued to look up at Sora with those damn beautiful eyes. No words came out of their mouth, and instead they tugged at Sora’s hands ever so gently, leading him down the long pathway. In the back of Sora’s mind, he could have sworn there was someone screaming at him, telling him to not follow the mysterious person into the depths. However, Sora’s desperation had grown too strong and he could feel his mentality slowly become consumed by darkness. It was at that moment a small thought, brief yet deep, crossed his mind.

 

Even if it means getting himself lost to darkness, he would follow this figure forever.

 

_ “Sora no! You have to wake up Sora!” _ The voice called out to him. Was that… Riku? He couldn’t tell anymore. 

 

But eventually the figure in front of him disappeared and he was at the base of a large skyscraper. Roxas’s heart tinged with familiarity at the structure and Sora grit his teeth. There in front of him stood Xigbar, that cocky smirk on his face as he looked down at Sora and then…

 

And then Sora couldn’t remember much else. He remembered fighting… Fighting someone and then laying down and suddenly feeling very… Sleepy. Sentences sprawled through his head like… Xehanort’s vessel… And the light expiring… But that was all he could feel. He was exhausted… So tired… 

 

——

 

You don’t know how long it has been since Sora left the Final World. It was hard to keep track of time in a place that didn’t have night and day. However, it felt longer… Much longer than the last time he had visited this world again. Not that you wanted him to come back! After all, coming to the Final World usually meant your heart was lost, yet still searching. You didn’t want Sora to experience that at all, especially since you yourself knew how terrible a fate that was. 

 

But you couldn’t help but worry that this promise would be a repeat of your last one. Sora promised to come back and help you finally leave this world and while you knew better, you couldn’t help but hope that maybe just  _ maybe _ it was possible. There were doubts in your heart, after all Ephemer never came back for you before you died at the Keyblade Graveyard. Then what was the point of him showing you those dreams? What was the point of anything anymore? Why were you still stuck in this damn world with nothing?! 

 

You felt a small paw land on your lap, causing you to snap out of your thoughts. Chirithy looked up at you with concern, their tiny hands moving to gently relax your hands. You didn’t even realize that you were gripping them so tightly. You let out a small breath, placing your hand ontop of the small Spirit’s. “Sorry… I’m just anxious about Sora.”

 

“Understandable, after all Ephemer-“ Chirithy paused for a moment before shaking its head. “Don’t worry! This is Sora this time! I’m sure he’ll come around!”

 

You gave Chirithy a small smile, taking the tiny creature up in your arms. “Right. Sora is different!” It felt like you were more so trying to affirm that with yourself rather than make a statement, like you were trying to settle the uneasiness in your heart. 

 

In what seemed like a moment of peace, a large expanse of light shown above you. You looked up, eyes widening at the phenomena that had never happened before. A large circle with a Keyhole in the center opened, reminding you of the times when you would open a portal to travel between worlds. But this one was… Different. As the Keyhole shown with bright light, the darkness that surrounded the hole began to expand and pulse almost like a sea of black ooze. It spilled across the light until it became a portal of pure darkness, wisps of purple tendrils steaming out from it. The sight made you wary and you stood up, the light of your Keyblade appearing in your hand giving you a small comfort.

 

You had seen this portal before during your many times collecting Lux. When you would hang out with your party of friends like that strange Moogle-headed boy, or the girl dressed in all pink. “Chirithy… Get back.” You warned, as what you feared slowly came out from the sea of black. 

 

A strange, armor-clad figure emerged from the hole. Its helmet had horns that curved upwards and a strange symbol was painted on its face that you had never seen before. The entire armor itself was painted in black and each step it made created a rattling noise almost akin to empty armor. 

 

It was different from what you expected. After all it was too small to be a Raid Boss. However, the power it spilled from its form sent a wary shiver down your spine. Could you really fight such a powerful darkness? You were alone in this world with nothing but the Nameless Stars and Chirithy to talk to and neither had any sort of combat capabilities to help at this moment. Your party had always come to help you back then… But now they were gone, long vanished since the end of the Keyblade War. Your grip on your Keyblade tightened, knuckles turning white as you stared the figure down and waited for its first move. When it got into a fighting stance you tensed, lowering your stance as well, ready to fight. 

 

What you didn’t expect was a Keyblade to appear in its hands.

 

Especially one you recognized.

 

Your eyes widened and your stance faltered a little bit as you stared at the Keyblade. “Sora…?”

 

“[y/n]!” 

 

Chirithy’s panicked voice was barely enough to break you out of your daze. You brought up your Keyblade just in time to block a huge slash from the figure, metal against metal echoing across the expansive world. Your heart rose into a feat of panic, one similar to that of the time you fought against the Foretellers and you instantly knew that this fight was not going to be easy. 

 

You pushed against the attack with more force until it was enough to break away, the figure jumping back. It was then you noticed that he held his Keyblade differently, reversed rather than straight forward. So… Was this not Sora then? “Tell me!” You shouted at the figure. “What are you doing with Sora’s Keyblade?!” You didn’t expect a reply… But it was worth a shot and when the figure started to run at you again, you could only grit your teeth. “Alright then… Well it’s time for me to take it back!” 

 

Keyblades clashed and spells were strung as the two of you battled it out, every knowledge you ever had of Keyblade fighting being put to the test. This wasn’t like your playful spars with Sora, or your training with dummy Heartless you summoned in this world. No, this figure had a strategy, every move calculated to kill. It almost seemed impossible with each attack you barely countered, the figure almost moving as fast as the wind itself. But you couldn’t let your heart falter! Not now! Whatever this figure was doing here, meant Sora was in trouble and your heart filled with determination to try and see this through. 

 

Especially if it meant protecting the one you cared for most.

 

Suddenly, and you almost missed it, a figure in a almost transparent light moved along with you. At a quick glance you saw white hair and your heart raced at the thought of who it could be. Glancing over at the figure, the words left your mouth before it could register. “Ephemer…?”

 

But no, this person’s hair wasn’t curly. Rather, it was long and straight. They seemed rather young, but fought with the expertise of an experienced warrior, each attack while coated in darkness, dispersed into a soft light. The effects almost reminded you of the way time moved from dusk to dawn. 

 

“No… Riku?” You muttered, backing up as the figure picked up for your slack. They weren’t here physically, more like their image was being reflected by the light of the Final World. It reminded you of your Raid Bosses and how your party members would briefly appear to do damage to help ease the fight. 

 

Was this… One of those moments? 

 

You watched as the armored figure fought against every attack, getting chipped by each swing more and more. At this rate, you might just be able to win this…! 

 

With that surge of confidence, you flung yourself back into the battle, moving along with the image of Riku as you both attacked the armored figure. It was like a Keyblade waltz, each attack connecting into a harmonious symphony that ever so slow crescendoed to the climax of the battle. It was at that moment that you both let out a battle cry in unison, Keyblades raised and swung down for the final attack. 

 

Riku’s transparent form disappeared, but you were more focused on the armor-clad figure in front of you. They hobbled ever so slightly, the sound of metal shattering as various cracks started to appear all over the armor. As the pieces of helmet fell away, your eyes widened at the familiar face that was revealed in them. 

 

“SORA!” You yelled, Keyblade disappearing as you broke out into a sprint. The rest of the armor fell away as Sora’s body started to fall forward. However, with your sudden burst of speed you were able to make it in time, catching the older boy in your arms and dropping to your knees from the sudden weight. You let out a grunt as you tried to be as gentle as possible, only failing as gravity took its toll on you and caused you to sit on the ground. “Sora… Sora is it really you?” You asked softly, pulling away to get a good look at the boy’s face. However, you didn’t get a reply.

 

Instead, Sora’s sleeping face looked back at you. You frowned, cupping his cheek before layering his head down onto your lap. “Chirithy… Why isn’t he awake…?” You asked, brushing some strands of his hair out of his face.

 

Chirithy poofed onto your shoulder, leaning down to look at Sora. “His heart must be asleep… Deeper than before. There are still tendrils of darkness that are trying to fight for his heart. It’s like something is protecting him by having him stay within sleep.”

 

You looked from Chirithy back to Sora, concern plaguing all your thoughts. He looked even older now, with different clothes that were themed around the colors of black, red and gold. His hair seemed a little longer too, if not spikier. As you brushed his hair with your fingers, for some reason you could feel some stronger presences that you never really noticed before. There was always one faint feeling you got from Sora but brushed it off as coincidental but now…

 

It felt like three hearts were connected to his.

 

“What happened, Sora…?” You whispered, almost hoping the boy would open his eyes to reply. “You were gone… For so long and now… So much has changed.” You continued. This wasn’t how you wanted to meet again, worry taking over the joy of Sora being with you once more. If he went back out there… What would happen next? What if he becomes trapped in the darkness again? What if he never finds his light to lead him out once more?

 

A tiny warmth filled your chest and you blinked, seeing a small light glow from Sora’s chest. It shined in a way that almost seemed to embrace the Keyblade wielder, like a protective blanket. For some reason, it felt like the light was almost communicating to you.

 

_ You can trust us. _

 

_ We will keep him safe.  _

 

It was strange, as unlike the Nameless Stars in this world, just looking at the lights made you feel like you could talk to them and trust them. Were they… The hearts connected to Sora’s? Such a warm and peaceful light… 

 

“Alright… I know you can.” You said aloud, smiling a little. “I will try to protect him too. After all,” you looked down at Sora’s sleeping face, “he is my special person as well.” You leaned down, brushing the boy’s bangs from his forehead and placed a gentle kiss at the spot. “Wake up, Sora… You still have great things to do.” You whispered softly. Chirithy looked at you in confusion for a bit, but before it could ask a large portal in the sky opened up once more. The sound of a keyhole locking echoed through the Final World and Sora’s body started to rise up towards the portal.

 

——-

 

When Sora woke up in Yen Sid’s tower, his chest and forehead felt strangely warm. Riku continued to sleep next to him, possibly still recovering from that final battle. He saw how hard his best friend fought to protect him, and a surge of admiration for the white-haired male filled his chest. However, there was something a little strange about that fight. 

 

For a quick moment, the battlefield that Riku fought in flashed to a beautiful world with an endless sky and sea and in that world… Another person was fighting beside Riku. Sora could have sworn that he had never been to such a world yet met that person, however the place gave him a huge feeling of nostalgia. It was like he was coming home for the first time in forever… 

 

A grumble in his stomach interrupted his thoughts and Sora looked over at Donald and Goofy, who laughed at his expense. “Man, I’m starving!” Sora exclaimed. “Why does a tea party suddenly sound good right now?!”


	6. Piece by Piece

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Love is Not Over - BTS

As you watched Sora disappear back to where he once was, Chirithy spoke up. “I think… Sora is special…” The young spirit whispered.

 

You nodded, a small smile gracing your lips. “Mm… He certainly is a special boy…” 

 

“It’s more than that. I wonder… If he has the power of waking.” 

 

Those words brought your thoughts back to the moment and you frowned. There was a term that you had never heard before, but it was one that held a strong sense of power and responsibility. You looked down at your spirit with a confused expression.

 

“Power of… Waking…?”

 

————

 

It didn’t tend to happen a lot, but whenever Sora fell into a deep sleep he always dreamed about this strange area with stained glass floors and voices whispering to him. He always went along with it, but for some reason this time around… Felt different.

 

There were the stained glass floors that he recognized so well, but now there were mirrors and frames all depicting his past adventures. It felt like this time around… Whatever happened when he woke up would be different from his past few visits to this strange area known as the Station of Awakening.

 

Once his options were chosen, his feet were surrounded by water and a light in this distance called out to him. He could feel a sense of familiarity coming from the light and an ache in his heart that had long since disappeared renewed once more. A name was on the tip of his tongue and he wanted to say it, but couldn’t fully grasp it. It left him in a confused state of mind, and his body was running towards the light before he could fully process it. 

 

When the waves of water receded and came crashing down on him, Sora burst out of the water into a strange yet beautiful world where the sky met the sea. 

 

_ The Final World. _

 

For some reason he knew the name of this place. He felt like he had been here once before. He was here… With someone…

 

He saw a person with their back facing him and his eyes widened. They were the person he saw back in the Sleeping Realm of The World That Never Was, the one who he saw for a moment fighting alongside Riku. His heart leapt to his throat and he ran towards them, his lips opening to call out to them but no sound coming out. He could have sworn he was calling out a name but his voice wasn’t clear. It was like everything he could hear was muddled by water. He continued to yell and just as he saw the figure slowly turn to face him, they rippled like waves on still water. Sora skidded to a stop, eyes widened as he watched the figure turn to water and melt back into the water at his feet. He instinctively reached out towards the ground, calling out to them once more but with no reply. 

 

Suddenly, the ground around him started to ripple and a large Darkside heartless emerged from the water. Sora stumbled back eyes widening as he faced the Heartless. This one was… Different than the ones he usually faced. Rather than made entirely out of darkness, this one had some sort of watery form. Small flashes of memories went through Sora’s mind as he looked at this huge Heartless, images of him fighting these once before in this world at a time when he was younger… Like… Training… Was he training with that figure he saw before…?

 

Too caught up in his thoughts, Sora barely dodged out of the way of the Darkside’s attack, rolling on the watery ground before getting back up on his feet. He wasn’t focusing! C’mon Sora!

 

_ I think your form is a little off. _

 

Sora blinked, a voice he had never heard before whispered softly in his thoughts and he looked down at himself. Adjusting his footing ever so slightly, he felt a little more confident now, gripping his Keyblade tighter. He got a strange sense of deja vu from that voice, as if he had heard someone say that to him before. But no matter now, there was a huge Darkside in his way! 

 

\---------

 

You gasped, sitting up from your napping spot with wide eyes and a racing heart. You heard Chirithy let out a tiny squeak of surprise, almost stumbling off of the white platform. You had decided to rest after a small training session in the part of the Final World where you and Sora played hide and seek so long ago. However, that strange dream left you awake in a cold sweat and you were doing your best to calm your racing heart. 

“You okay?” Chirithy asked, placing a hand on your thigh.    
  
You shake your head. “I… Had a dream about Sora.” Just saying it aloud was strange in itself as you haven’t had a dream in the Final World for a very long time. Looking at Chirithy expression when you said that, your cheeks flushed a soft pink. The way they were looking was rather… Suggestive and you couldn’t stop the embarrassment from showing on your face. “I-It wasn’t like that I swear! Don’t look at me like that!” Chirithy merely shrugged and you huffed, finally calming yourself. “I dreamt that he was back here and it was like one of our old training sessions… He called for me but then one of our Darkside dummies appeared and he fought it.”

 

You looked back at Chirithy, frowning. “That… Power of waking that you told me about. Sora has it, right?”

 

The spirit sighed, rubbing the back of its head. “From what I can tell, he had it… Then lost it somehow. Might be from that time when we fought him in that armor… But either way, he has strong potential to gain it back once more.”

 

“Do you think…” You began. “That maybe…”

 

Chirithy shook their head. “If you believe that him gaining it will help you leave, don’t be too sure. The power of waking is used to free a heart from its sleep, but at the moment your heart is more than awake.” 

 

You pulled your knees to your chest, pouting a little. “I wasn’t  _ exactly _ asking about that…” Though the thought did cross your mind when you first heard about the power of waking. What small glimmer of hope you had disappeared before it could fully form thanks to Chirithy. But that wasn’t the main thing you were thinking about, no there was something more important you were worried about. 

 

“Using the power of waking is dangerous…” You began. “If one uses it recklessly, they might lose their own heart and body in the process correct?” When Chirithy nodded, your frown deepened and you buried your face into your knees. 

 

“You’re worried about Sora.” The small spirit guessed and you let out an exasperated sigh in response.

 

“Of course I’m worried!” You exclaimed. “He’s reckless! Always following his heart and running in for those he cares about without a second thought! Once he gets the power of waking and something bad happens… He’ll… He’ll disappear and…”

 

“But that’s why you admire him, right?”

 

The words made you flinch. That’s right… It’s that trait about Sora that made you care about him so much. In another time, a time long long ago you probably would have done the same. You would have put your life on the line to protect your friends in a heartbeat. But now with the only friend you had now possibly going to give themselves up in the future… You wanted to protect him. Protect the person special to you. Talking to those hearts connected to Sora’s made you realize just that. 

 

“Sora told you to believe in him.” Chirithy continued. “I’m sure that even when things are too tough, he’ll make it through. He’s a dunce, but he’s got a strong heart!”

 

You couldn’t help but laugh sadly. “Yeah… But... “

 

“No ifs or buts!” Chirithy snapped. You blinked, looking down at the tiny spirit in surprise. “If Sora ever loses his way, he will come here and we will be here to help guide him back home! We’ve done it before! He’ll be okay because he has friends on both sides to help him!” Chirithy’s voice grew soft. “I know you’re scared. You’re scared of another friend leaving you forever. But I know that we were both brought here for a reason and maybe… Maybe that reason was to help guide those who became a little too lost. Something is still holding you here despite having come to terms with losing Ephemer and Skuld and all your other friends and maybe that thing is Sora. Sora is tied to you, your hearts are bound together by something strong and it’s calling for a way to reach you. So when Sora gets here, it will be your job to guide him so that he can finish his job as a Guardian of Light. He will come back, [y/n]. I believe in him, almost as much as I believe in you.”

 

You stared at your companion before letting off a soft giggle. The tiny spirit looked embarrassed, its tiny arms waving in exasperation. “Wh-What’s so funny?! I was just speaking my heart out!”

 

You took Chirithy in your arms and shook your head. “I just never saw you get so worked up over Sora. Especially since you think he’s too much of an idiot to do anything.” 

 

“W-Well like I said… He’s a Guardian of Light, he’s still got a job.”

 

“But you’re right,” you continued, “maybe I still have a job to do here as well. I might be stuck here but… Maybe there’s a reason for that.” You smiled and hugged Chirithy before getting on your feet. “If that’s the case, then I can’t let anyone down!” 

 

\---------

 

Sora coming back to the Final World was in a way that set your whole world off balance.

 

He was floating, entirely transparent with pieces of him slowly disintegrating into nothing. He looked like he was sleeping peacefully, but unlike that time he slept in your lap, the young boy was starting to fade away. 

 

Your heart picked up it’s beat as you ran to his floating body and tried to grab his hand. However, your hand just went through his as if touching nothing but air. In your panicked daze you tried again and again to take his hand but to no avail. “Chirithy! What’s going on?!” You exclaimed. 

 

The young spirit was also getting nervous as well, hopping around with worry. “S-Something must have happened that caused his heart and body to start to disappear! He’s still holding on with what tiny ties he has to this world but at this rate-”

 

“Alright but how do I  _ save _ him?!” You asked, eyes wide as you looked at Chirithy helplessly. “If I was put here for Sora, there has to be  _ something _ I can do!” 

 

Chirithy was quiet for a moment, wracking its tiny brain for any sort of options. What felt like hours of waiting was actually seconds, but each moment lost was more and more of Sora that you were losing. You didn’t have much time!

 

“I got it!” The spirit exclaimed. “We have a lot to do, but if we can find fragments of Sora’s pieces then we should be able to stabilize him!” 

 

You nodded. “Right! There’s no time to waste then!”

 

Running to find pieces of Sora was more than just difficult. With him being transparent, he almost blended with the sky and you narrowly missed a piece once or twice. As you ran through the endless Final World, you smiled widely as your sights landed on one and ran towards it, grabbing its shoulder.

  
The piece of Sora turned towards you and frowned, causing you to look at it with confusion. The look the piece made was full of determination and it reached its hand out, taking yours and holding it close. “I will find a way to bring you back.” It said with strong conviction. The way the piece said it… Reminded you of when Sora first made that promise to you when you first met, it even said it with the same honesty that made your heart race. 

 

Once it said that, the piece of Sora disappeared into speckles of light that absorbed into your chest. Your body glowed for a short moment and a gentle warmth reached from your fingertips to your toes causing you to shiver. 

 

Just what was this…?

 

The second piece was just as strange, saying another phrase that you had heard from Sora a long time ago.

 

“You’ll meet them again someday.” It said gently, pulling you into a hug. “Your hearts are still connected… Even if you can’t feel it anymore, it is still there.”

 

It was then you realized after that second piece disappeared into your heart that these were all repeats of your time spent with Sora in this world. Each piece you collected were memories of your training, your talks, your promises all being brought back to piece Sora back together again. You could feel the tears well up in your eyes as you lived each memory once more. These… Were they that important to Sora? Did he really treasure such moments with you?

 

“One last thing, [y/n]. I-”

 

The last words that Sora ever spoke to you were interrupted once more as the final piece embedded itself inside of you. You could never figure out what those words were… But now with the pieces of him finally collected maybe… Maybe you could finally hear what he meant to say after so long.

 

\-------

 

When you went back to Sora’s floating body, the pieces that you collected appeared from your chest and flew towards him. The warmth that you felt lingered ever so slightly before it disappeared and you watched as the pieces filled the parts of him that were missing. He was still transparent but was no longer disintegrating much to your relief. You hesitatingly reached out and took his hand, a smile forming on your face when you could finally grasp it. You gently pulled him down onto the ground, the still water rippling at your movements as you laid Sora down, his head resting once more on your lap.

 

“Why is he still transparent?” You asked, looking at Chirithy. 

 

“He still has many pieces scattered around the Final World.” It said. “He’ll have to work on getting them himself before he can go back, but… It looks like the only thing keeping his form here right now… Is you.” 

 

You hummed, brushing some of his bangs away from his face. It felt strange, almost like the feeling of running your hands through water but without the wetness. “It’s time to wake up now, Sora. You still have things to do.” You said, smirking at the almost similar words when you last saw Sora’s sleeping face. 

 

However, unlike last time, Sora actually woke. 

 

His eyes snapped open and he let out a panicked gasp, standing up and looking around wildly. You let out a yelp of surprise, standing up as well. 

 

“Wh-Where am I?!” Sora exclaimed, looking around.

 

Wait… Why did he ask where he was? He’s been here before…

 

He turned around and looked at you and Chirithy, his panicked expression settling into confusion. “Who… Who are you?”

 

Your eyes widened and you felt your heart shatter. He… He forgot about you? But how? That doesn’t make any sense! It couldn’t have been that long! Sure he had different clothes and looked even older now but… Time couldn’t have passed that much!

 

“Wait…” Sora continued. He walked up to you, you stepping back a little at the sudden movement as the distance between the two of you closed. “I know you… From my dream.” He said. “Back in the Sleeping Realms you were there! I… I don’t know why but… You’re familiar to me…” His eyes searched yours, looking for answers. Despite his transparent body you could still see his expression and… It held hope, desperation, and a deep sadness that he was trying to cure… One that was searching for answers through you.

 

“I’m [y/n] and this is Chirithy and this is the Final World.” You explained, stepping back once more to create even more distance.

 

Sora blinked and shook his head, possibly to regain his thoughts. “Ah… Sorry.” He quickly apologized. “I’m Sora. What’s the… ‘Final World?’”

 

“There’s nothing else beyond this.” You continued. “You’ve wandered here more than once before on your visits to the Station of Awakening, as well as when your heart became lost. I… Let that slide and guided your heart back to your friends.” You scratched your cheek sheepishly. “The edges of sleep and death touch, and one can’t help the occasional crossover.”

 

“Wait… Death?” Sora asked, eyes widening. 

 

You flinched. You didn’t want to think that Sora actually died at this point… But this visit was different from the other times. His heart and body, rather than willingly being transported here it seems… Was forced instead. “It… Is the natural end for those whose hearts and bodies perish together. Though… Some persist and end up arriving here.”

 

Sora’s frown deepened, still trying to process everything. “My heart and body perished? Um… Does that mean...”

 

You opened your mouth, trying to find words to explain everything, but nothing came out. You yourself were still processing that such a terrible thing happened to Sora and the fact that through all this… He forgot about you…. 

 

You felt a tiny paw on your leg and looked down to see Chirithy give you a look of understanding before looking at Sora. “Something or someone is holding you here, refusing to let you go. You’re hanging by a thread.”

 

Sora shook his head, focusing on something else. “What about my friends?” 

 

“I’m afraid that no one else arrived with you.” Chirithy continued. “And if they’re not here, they’re either gone forever, or they’re clinging to the world you came from.”

 

You watched as his eyes widened in panic. Whatever happened… Must have been terrible. It wasn’t like when you first met Sora and he was still looking for his friends. No, something happened to them and they were in danger. Thus, you weren’t surprised that he suddenly summoned his Keyblade and announced heading straight on back to find them. “W-Wait!” You exclaimed, finally finding your voice. “You can’t just wander out like your other visits!”

 

He paused and looked back at you with confusion. “W-What?”

 

“The other times you came here by your own choice.” You explained. “This time is very different… To become your old self and return to the real world, you’ll have to piece yourself back together in this world first.” 

 

As if he didn’t notice his transparent body for the first time, Sora looked down and let out a yelp of surprise. “AGH! Wh-Why am I in pieces?!” He used his free hand to pat and touch his body, almost like he was making sure he was fully there. The action itself caused a small smile to form on your lips. At least he still had his childlike innocence after all these years…

 

“Not literally of course.” You said, calming him down. “Conceptually in pieces. You’re fine, just missing a few parts of you here and there.”

 

“Oooh… Okay.” Sora replied, giving you a carefree smile. “You kinda freaked me out there.”

 

That caused you to giggle, especially when Chirithy let out an exasperated “Oh boy…” next to you. 

 

“So, I just have to find all my pieces then I’ll be able to head back?” He asked, tilting his head. 

 

You nodded. “Precisely, but… There’s a lot of you to find. You’re going to be busy. But, I believe in you!” 

 

Chirithy tugged on your leg and you nodded. Right, now to send Sora off! “You got a lot of work to do.” You explained as you summoned one of the portals behind Sora. He looked behind at the floating sphere in confusion before turning back when you placed a hand on his chest. “No time to waste!” And with a quick shove, you sent Sora through the portal, hearing him let out a cry of surprise as he disappeared along with the portal.

 

Once he was gone you let out a breath you didn’t realize that you were holding, collapsing onto your knees. “He… Forgot… About everything.” You whispered softly. “What was the point… Of me collecting each piece and remembering our time together if I was just going to get slapped in the face by him forgetting everything about us?!” Oh god you couldn’t live through this again. After Ephemer… After that broken promise… You weren’t sure your heart could take any more of this. Your role to guide Sora… And always help him… Was it always going to end with him leaving you eventually? To the point where he would forget about you and leave you here alone forever? 

  
Was that how all of this was meant to end?

“I believe I can help you answer that…” An unfamiliar voice spoke up.

You looked over and saw a floating Nameless Star next to you, one you were pretty sure you had never encountered in this world before. “Wha… What do you mean?” You asked.

The star twinkled, as if hesitating to answer before finally speaking. “My name is Naminé

… And I’m the reason Sora doesn’t remember you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are getting close to the end folks! I just want to say thank you all for this wild ride! I'm estimating about two more chapters until this fic is finished~ I hope you all continue to enjoy this till the end!


	7. Afraid of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You had come to terms that you were Sora’s guide back to the real world... But you were terrified. 
> 
> Why did this... Feel like your last journey with him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Awake by Jin (BTS)
> 
> ————
> 
> I can’t believe that not only we’re on the final stretch but also that we reached 100 kudos! I just want to say thank you all for your wonderful comments and I am so glad that you all enjoyed this journey as much as I did! At the end you’ll find a playlist of the songs as mentioned in each chapter~! Go ahead and have a listen and thank you again for following me through the Final World! Allow me to guide you towards the final chapter!

“... What do you mean… That you’re the reason?” You breathed, staring at the star in shock.

 

The star moved closer to you, settling to float right in front of where you sat. “It’s a long story but… I am connected to Sora’s memories. Bad things happened and I had to piece his memories back together. However, as I worked to restore Sora’s memories, new ones seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was almost like his heart was creating new memories while he was asleep.”

 

Your eyes widened. “Then… When he was here…?”

 

The start didn’t have a body, but you could almost sense it nod along with your words. “Yes, you and Sora’s time with here created new memories. However, since I didn’t have a way to access said memories… I wasn’t able to restore them into Sora’s body. Thus… The reason why he doesn’t remember you.”

 

You wanted to laugh at how sad this all was. Your time with Sora was treated as nothing more than a nuisance. Like it was an obstacle that prevented him from completing his mission, a sideroad that moved him away from his fate. And the only one left to suffer through all of this? You. As if you being trapped in this world wasn’t enough. Even with Sora making that promise… That promise to be there for you and help you leave… There were still outside entities that prevented that promise from ever coming true. It was like destiny just laughed in your face, taunting you and what little hope you had.

 

“You… You had no right…” You whispered. “You… You had no right to take all of that!” Your voice slowly rose along with your agony, giving a sense of deja vu.

 

When was the last time you were this angry? The last time despair plagued your heart? It must have been when you faced Master Ava… That time when they said Ephemer disappeared and Master Ava tested you. Even then… Through all of that, it couldn’t compare to now. There was no hope or comfort this time. Sora had no way to remember you, even just looking at you there was no recognition in his eyes.

 

“You had no right to decide that those memories weren’t worth keeping!” You exclaimed, hands balling into fists. “They were important! They  _ did  _ mean something! They meant something to  _ me _ ! Did you even ask Sora? Did you ask how he felt about all of this?” You raised your fist at the tiny star, your grip so tight that your knuckles were slowly turning white. You could feel your fingers dig into your skin as you glared down at Naminé. 

 

Chirithy let out a gasp of panic. “[y/n] d-don’t!” 

 

You raised your fist higher and higher, threatening to hit the tiny star. However, your arm shook before falling limp at your side. Despite all your anger and resentment, you couldn’t bring yourself to hurt Naminé. It wasn’t who you were… It wasn’t why you were a Keyblade wielder. You fell to your knees, eyes turning to look up at the sky helplessly.

 

A small, “I’m sorry…” came from Naminé but you paid her no mind. With one last twinkle she disappeared, probably off to another part of the Final World.

 

“He was all I had… He was all I had in this goddamn place.” Your voice wavered, tears building up in your eyes. “And now I have nothing left…” After all this, being put through a wild ride of falling in love, losing that love and then losing that hope of that love… You were tired and had nothing left but sorrow. You could feel your heart slowly start to seep into the tendrils of darkness and Chirithy could as well. You were sure the tiny spirit was panicking, they were probably saying things but you couldn’t hear it anymore. You just wanted to fall away… And fall deeper into the darkness.

 

But despite your best efforts you couldn’t. You were what was keeping Sora together in this world. If you fell away now… He would also be lost. You let out a sad laugh. God, how pathetic were you? Even if he forgot about you, you still cared so much about him. You still wanted him to succeed. 

 

Maybe… That was how much you loved him. 

 

————

 

Sora smiled as he looked down at his body. Alright! He was making some pretty good progress! Part of his legs were still transparent but at least his head and torso were slowly starting to look a lot more solid. When that person and their tiny animal friend said he was in pieces and Sora finally looked at himself, it almost made him have a heart attack! 

 

Speaking of…

 

He was sure that person was the one he saw in his dreams… The person who he felt like he had been searching for all these years. But when he asked them, they looked almost hesitant like they were scared or something. Maybe he was thinking things wrong…? It couldn’t be…

 

“Sora?” 

 

He paused, looking over at one of the stars that called his name. His eyes widened. All the stars he talked to didn’t know him, them all talking about bonds lost and people they were waiting for… How did this star know him? “Yes…?” He answered back hesitantly.

 

“It’s me, Naminé.”

 

His eyes widened. “Naminé?!” He exclaimed. Why was she here? What’s going on?

 

“I’m so glad that you managed to hold on to who you are.” He could hear the smile in her voice, but something was off. Did she sound… Almost guilty? 

 

“Wait, why are you here?” If she was here… Then Kairi…?!

 

“I was in Kairi’s heart, but then we were struck by a powerful darkness… And I woke up here.” 

 

Right, the Heartless… Sora still shivered at the memory, his heart feeling like it was about to shatter all over again. But none of that now, he needed to know what happened to his best friend. “What about Kairi?”

 

“I can feel her heart. She is out there waiting… Go to her.” Naminé urged.

 

Sora nodded, about to walk off but paused. “But what about you? I can’t just leave you here.” 

 

A large feeling of deja vú rammed into Sora’s chest. He said those kind of words before… Not to Naminé but someone else in this exact same world. God… Why was he still feeling these things even now?! How come he could never wrack his brain and realize why he was feeling this way? 

 

“It’s okay. Really.” Naminé reassured. “Kairi is where I came from. So, once she’s safe again, Kairi is where I’ll return.” 

 

Sora nodded, smiling. Ah right… before he went off. “Naminé I know I’m supposed to thank you. The datascape doesn’t count, I need to say the words myself.” His eyes furrowed. “But… Not like this. You and Roxas can’t tell me you’re okay with this. I know how much you’re hurting… I… Felt that pain through Roxas.” His chest started to ache and he instinctively lifted his hand to grip his chest. The ache was different from the one he had since he got here… But it almost hurt just as much.

 

“He’s the one they all miss. It’s… Not me…” Naminé’s voice held so much guilt in it, Sora couldn’t understand why she was feeling this way.

 

“Wrong!” He exclaimed, trying to reassure her. “What about me, Kairi, Donald, Goofy?” He went through names in his mind, trying to list out more. “The King! Roxas too, he misses you! And someone else special I know won’t let you down!” 

 

But it didn’t seem to work. “I… Still have done some terrible things, even now.” Naminé said softly. 

 

Sora frowned. “What do you mean?”

 

Naminé hesitated, staying quiet for a small while before speaking again. “I… Took memories of someone special away from you.” She explained. “That person… That person you met with their Chirithy, you knew them once before.”

 

Sora’s frown deepened. So these feelings… these feelings he’s been having, weren’t all just his imagination?

 

“When I was piecing your heart and memories back together, you were in this world with them. Your heart created new memories with them, memories I couldn’t access because I had no way of tracing the source.” She explained. “We needed you back and it was already taking so much time… So… Ansem the Wise told me to get rid of them. Even then with them seeing how you forgot about them, they’re still holding onto your form.”

 

Sora looked down at himself, raising a hand and moving his fingers. “So… The reason I have this form… Is because of them?” But why didn’t they say anything? Why after all of this they tried to act like they didn’t know him? 

 

Well… There was only one way to find out. 

 

“If you didn’t remove those memories… It would have taken me longer for me to wake up, right?” Sora asked, tilting his head to the side. 

 

Naminé didn’t expect that response, replying with a confused, “H-Huh..?”

 

Sora chuckled. “I feel like it’s been a while since I saw them and… They’ve probably have been waiting for me for a while now.” He looked off into the distance, watching the everchanging clouds. The scenery brought a sense of nostalgia to him, like he was home. “If you tried to save those memories, I probably wouldn’t have been able to meet them again for a long, long time. Yeah, I forgot a lot about our time together but… At least now I have more time to make new memories with them!” He turned back to Naminé a bright smile on his face. “So… Thank you, Naminé!” His eyes widened at his words and he panicked a little. “Oh! But that isn’t the real thank you! That’s a different one!” 

 

He heard a small giggle and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sora… Thank you.” Naminé said softly. 

 

———-

 

When Sora went through the familiar portal, he was hit with a whole other wave of strange feelings. What stood before him was a large expanse of white structures and platforms all with versions of him walking and moving around. His eyes widened. 

 

He had been here before. He was sure of it now. 

 

He slowly walked forward, watching fragments of himself run and jump and fly between all of the platforms. A good deal of them moved and ran around the structures almost chasing each other like a game of tag. Well… If a game of tag is what they want… Sora smirked, getting down low into a running position.

 

A game of tag is what they’ll get.

 

———

 

Sora looked down at himself, raising a hand up and wiggling his fingers. He smiled widely to see no more fragments of himself. It was a lot harder than he thought, collecting all of his pieces. But for some reason, he seemed to know exactly where to look as if he had explored this place a long time ago… 

 

God, when was his heart going to stop aching like this? He was getting tired of feeling this way. Sora lowered his hand and looked at the glowing portal next to him. That would probably take him back to where they were… The person who lived in this world. He knew they would be the one who had the answers but…

 

The look on their face when he asked them who they were made him hesitate. It probably hurt… Them seeing him after so long only for him to forget all about them. From what he could tell now, they were trying to push him away. But… He didn’t want that. Like Roxas and Naminé… He could feel that they were hurting. He  _ knows _ what hurt is like and they… They deserved so much more than that.

 

Sora clenched his chest, taking a deep breath. He wasn’t sure what he could say to help them, but… That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try. 

 

——-

 

You heard a flash behind you and quickly stood up just in time to see Sora appear out of the portal. Much to your relief he looked to be in one piece which meant it was time for him to head out. Time… For him to leave.  “I’m glad you were able to gather yourself back together.” You forced a smile, focusing your gaze at your hand rather than at him. You summoned your Keyblade into your hand and pointed it not that far away from the two of you. A large portal with a keyhole in the center burst from the ground, glowing and shimmering with a warm light. 

 

You could feel the ties of your heart that kept Sora one piece in this world slowly peel away, allowing him to now take care of his form himself. Your job here was done… Now all that was left was to send Sora off once more. “Alright, now you just hop through there and-“

 

“We knew each other long ago, didn’t we?” 

 

The sentence caught you off guard, your words catching in your throat. Your whole body literally froze, eyes widening in panic as you forced yourself even more to not look at Sora. “N-No… I’m sure you’re just imagini-“

 

“I’m not. I know I’m not.” You heard footsteps approach you, seeing Sora’s form grow closer and closer to you. With each nearing step your heartbeat quickened, trying to back off away from him as he sped up his pace. Before you could get to far, he grabbed onto your arm and kept you in place. His eyes searched your face, that same look of desperation and hopelessness in his eyes like when he entered the Final World. When you didn’t seem to budge, he let out a gentle sigh, releasing your arm. “... I’m sorry.” 

 

You shook your head and rubbed your arm, looking at the ground. “No it’s fine, you didn’t grab too hard.”

 

“I meant about leaving you… And forgetting you.”

 

Your eyes widened and your eyes shot up to finally looked at Sora. You opened your mouth, trying to say something… Anything. But the words couldn’t process in your head.

 

Sora’s face looked hurt and he gripped onto his chest like it was actually causing him pain. “I’m sure you were here… Waiting for me. You must have been so lonely and all I did was leave and forget all about you. I don’t remember when I first visited this world and met you, but my heart makes me feel like this is such a warm and welcoming place.” His sky blue eyes looked up at you, a sad smile on his face. “And I’m sure… That’s because of you. You made me feel at home here and even now… You helped me by keeping my body together here all on your own. You don’t deserve the way I treated you and you definitely don’t deserve to keep crying over me like this.”

You blinked, realizing that a wetness coated your cheeks. “N-No I… Th-This isn’t…” You feverishly tried to wipe your tears away, sniffling. “I-I’m not-” 

 

“It’s alright.” Sora whispered softly. You didn’t even notice that he closed the distance between the two of you now, cupping your face in his half-gloved hands and wiping away your tears with his thumbs. 

 

You sniffled more, looking up at him. “Y-You grew so tall…” You muttered pathetically, Sora was practically a head taller than you at this point. God, you really did feel so pathetic right now… Crying over Sora being taller than you… Crying over him being so grown up now. You used to be the older one and now look at you…

 

He chuckled, continuing to wipe your tears. “Yeah, and you’re still you…” It may have been in the Sleeping Realm when he saw you, but he knew… That the person in his arms was someone he held very dearly in his heart. Once your sniffling had settled, his hands moved down to your arms, holding onto you gently. “I’m going to make this right, okay? One last trip… And then you are leaving this place for good. Then, we can make up for all the memories I lost, alright?” 

 

You were dear to him… So precious to him…

 

His dearly…

 

“W-Wait.” You gripped at his arms as well, as if trying to keep him rooted in place by your side. “W-What if… What if you leave and this is the last time I see you?” You said desperately. You looked up at him, your eyes meeting his own and you could have sworn his eyes almost blended with the ever-changing sky. “I believe… That I was placed here to guide you, to always help lead you from the Station of Awakening, through the Final World and back to the real one.” Your grip tightened and you shut your eyes, leaning your head against his chest. “What if this is the last time I guide you…? I can feel it… The end is near and… If fate placed me here as your guide, then fate might decide that we no longer need to meet right? That I no longer need to be there for you.”

 

Sora looked down at you. Your grip on his arms was starting to hurt and he could see that your knuckles were slowly turning white. After being left and abandoned for so long, you were desperate to not let it happen again… To not be left in this empty world forever. Sora frowned, the grip on your arms reaching to fully wrap his arms around you. He understood… That fate was something he couldn’t fight. He realized that when he fought against Terra being possessed by Xehanort and how no matter what they did they couldn’t win… As the sort-of appointed leader of the Guardians of Light, he knew that fate and destiny were things so tightly intertwined that changing them was near impossible. However, he knew that… Maybe the fate that tied the two of you was something special.

 

He pulled away, tilting your chin up to look at him. He smiled softly, tilting his head to the side. “If it your fate to guide me, then I believe it is my fate to follow you.” He said.    
  
Your eyes widened at his words and you felt your heart start to hammer in your chest. Your cheeks flushed a bright red and you looked away, trying to cover your cheeks with your hands. “Y-You… Y-You can’t just say things like that so casually!” You exclaimed. 

 

Sora laughed, taking your hands and removing them from your cheeks. The feelings he got… Made him finally understand those moments he saw… Those moments of love from Rapunzel and Elsa. He settled for holding your hands, swinging your intertwined hands almost childishly. “I’m strong when I’m with you. I feel like I could do anything with you around.” He couldn’t contain it any longer. He wanted you to know, he wanted you to know how his heart swelled when he was around you and how it ached when you were gone.

 

You let out a whine, weakly trying to remove your hands from his just so you could curl up and hide your flustered face. “S-Stop… Y-You’re embarrassing! I-If Chirithy saw me like this… I’ll… I’ll die!” 

 

“Well, we can’t have that now can we?” Sora chuckled. He stopped swinging your arms, instead just trying to memorize the details of your face. The way that blush made your cheeks so cutely pink, your tiny pout and how your eyes tried to look at anywhere but him. He wasn’t sure… How long this final battle was going to take and he wanted to make sure he would never forget you again. “I want to make one more promise.”

 

Your eyes finally met his, confused.

 

“I don’t remember all the details… But I know I made a promise to you before… One about getting you out of here.” He said. “My… My heart told me so.” When you nodded in understanding he smiled. “I promise… That I won’t make you cry over me again. That you won’t feel sad or hurt over something I did and that… I won’t make you feel lonely ever again.” He looked behind him at the portal that would lead him back to the real world. He could feel the hearts of his friends calling out to him. They were still holding on, he could reach them. He looked back at you and squeezed your hands reassuringly. “I have to go… One more time.” He said. “But I’ll come back for you, okay? So just wait a little longer.” 

 

You squeezed back, more for reassuring yourself than him. A large part of your heart was still scared but… You knew you could trust Sora. “... Be careful…” You said quietly. “And… for sure be careful about using the Power of Waking.” When Sora gave you a confused look, you shook your head. “That power is dangerous, especially when used to traverse worlds to reach hearts rather than the other way around. So don’t… Don’t be too careless about it, alright?”

 

Sora frowned a little, not fully understanding but… He nodded anyways. ”Alright.”

 

The both of you walked to the edge of the portal, Sora finally letting go your hand to prep himself ready to go. He took a deep breath, looking at you and smiling sadly. He really didn’t want to leave you… And he could see you didn’t want him to either. However, he still had unfinished business… And if the real world wasn’t safe, then he would never be able to bring you back.

 

Before he could jump, however, you spoke up. “Oh and Sora?” 

 

He paused, looking over at you. “Hm?”

 

“Before you left… The last time we saw each other, you said something but I never caught it.” You sheepishly scratched your cheek. “I know you probably don’t remember it but… Do you maybe have an idea on what it was?” 

 

Sora leaned back a bit, humming to himself. Something he said… Before he left… “Oh!” He looked over at you, smiling widely as you started at him both with confusion and curiosity. However, before you could even process what he was thinking, Sora grabbed you by the arm and pulled you close, his other hand cradling your cheek so that he could meet your lips with his.

 

Your body instantly froze up, eyes wide as you stared at his closed ones. He was…? You were…?! Your mind felt like it short-circuited and all you could think was:  _ Sora. Soft. Sora is soft.  _

 

When you pulled away, your face was like a gaping fish, mouth opening and closing as you stared at him in shock.

 

Sora’s cheeks were bright red and he looked rather flustered, but he still held his characteristic smile as he stepped backwards towards the portal. “I love you!” He exclaimed right as he felt his feet give away and his body fell through the portal. 

 

The last thing he saw was your face, adorable, red and that smile slowly starting to grow on your lips.

 

It was probably his most favorite sight ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> ———
> 
> Crossing the Line playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw4EKhcS6VZj1xyzFGifyq8bttBfyvSKl


	8. Another Chapter Closed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Promises are fulfilled and you hear words you never thought you would hear again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Don’t Think Twice - Utada Hikaru

Leaving [y/n] behind wasn’t easy, but it was something that Sora needed to do. When he landed back again in Olympus Coliseum, he was confused at first… Until the floating image of Riku caught his attention. A large Heartless resembling almost that of a Grim Reaper or Lich seemed to almost absorb Riku’s heart, carrying it away further into the darkness.

 

He needed to get them back! 

 

Thus began Sora’s battle to restore and save all the Guardians of Light. He jumped from world to world, destroying each Lich Heartless that tried to stow away with one of his friends until he had nearly saved them all. 

 

When he landed back in San Fransokyo he was approached by Young Xehanort once again, telling him of his fate to disappear… Or something like that. The power of waking was dangerous or so Young Xehanort taunted and Sora using it would be detrimental to him in the long run. The warning almost reminded Sora of [y/n]’s words right before he left the Final World. The power of waking isn’t used to chase after hearts… And he had been using it for just that this whole time. When Young Xehanort left, Sora looked down at his hand, feeling like if he so much as blinked, his body would be back to that transparent form he had before he came back to the real world. 

 

He knew the power of waking was dangerous… But maybe if he used it… For one last thing…

 

Sora’s hand clenched into a fist and he looked towards the moon that hung in the sky, his mind was already made up and there was no turning back now.

 

——

 

It was almost like getting major whiplash when Sora was brought back to the Keyblade Graveyard. He had followed Kairi’s heart along the way and ended up back on the desolate wasteland with the rest of his friends. It was a comfort, knowing that even now he still had his friends to rely on and the feeling only made him clench his fists with determination. There was someone important relying on him now as well and he wasn’t going to let them down! 

 

Walking through a deep ravine that almost blocked out the blazing sun, Sora caught up to the other Guardians of Light that ran ahead of him. He couldn’t help but get a strange sense of deja vu… Like he had done this all before. That figure of Terra and Ventus running up to him… Wasn’t that something that happened before? The feeling of deja vu continued to grow as the battle continued, but something felt different. 

 

As Terranort moved to attack the group, a large figure wearing hulking armor fought him off. Not only that but for some reason… Sora felt like their stance in this battle was better than before.

 

_ Before? When was there a before? _

 

As Terranort was successfully fended off, Sora moved to attack the huge waves of Heartless that came at the group, all forming huge Demon Towers that spiraled and pulsed with dark energy. When they 

 

He needed to stop that tornado  _ now.  _ There was no question about it. When Donald and Goofy looked back at him warily, Sora only gripped his Keyblade tighter.

 

“I’ll stop it!” He exclaimed, breaking out into a run before anyone could stop him. 

 

He ran as fast as he could, slashing at any Heartless that launched themselves at him. He then launched himself at the Demon Tornado, Keyblade raised high for the attack when a huge bright light surrounded him. Sora let out a cry of surprise, lowering his arms to block the blinding light. When it softened, he saw a figure in front of him around his age, back towards him.

 

The figure turned around, revealing a young boy with stark white hair and a red scarf. They smiled fondly at him, as if welcoming an old friend. “Need some help?” He asked, almost teasingly.

 

Sora stared at the figure, eyes wide with surprise. “H-Huh…?” He replied dumbly.

 

The boy laughed. “Don’t think too much about it. It’s just… My way- no, our way of saying thank you.”

 

Sora frowned, tilting his head to the side. “I don’t… I don’t get what you mean… Who are you, anyways?”

 

He smiled, turning to fully face Sora now and shrugged. “Just an old friend…” His smile faltered a little, growing sad. “A friend that… Never got to keep his promise.”

 

Before Sora could question it any further, the boy continued to talk. “But anyhow, I want to say thank you. Because of you, they’re no longer lonely in that world. They’ve moved on from the past and gained hope again. They can now live… Live and finally be free of our past mistakes.” 

 

The boy walked up to Sora, placing a hand on his shoulder. “That person… In the Final World that you hold so dearly in your heart.” He said softly. “Tell them something for me, will you?” When Sora nodded in reply, the boy chuckled. “Tell them that I’m sorry that I never met them at the fountain that day… And that I am happy they found someone new to care for. I wish the best for them.” 

 

Sora’s eyes widened as the puzzle pieces slowly fit together. This person… This person was…! 

 

“Wait! Ephemer!” Sora exclaimed, reaching out as he was pushed away from the boy. 

 

The light faded and Sora landed back on the ground, gasping in surprise. As he slowly processed everything that just happened, he heard the sound of metal and chains clink and clatter above him. Confused, he looked up, eyes widening as tons and tons of Keyblades all started to fly above him. 

 

This… This is what Ephemer meant as help? 

 

Sora laughed, smiling widely as the Keyblades all formed into a line, gliding and sailing around the Heartless tornado that was still continuing to grow. The Keyblades rushed past him and Sora felt a calling in his heart. Without even thinking, he started to run, picking up speed before hopping on top of one if the Keyblades and riding the wave. It was almost like riding that skateboard back in Twilight Town! Sora’s heart raced with anticipation as he turned the mass of Keyblades towards the huge Heartless spawn. His eyes widened when a ball of darkness launched at him, arms coming up instinctively only for it to flash and dissipate into nothing.

 

“What… What is this…?” He laughed excitedly. As he turned to face towards the Heartless with some of the Keyblades circling around his body, a specific one called out to him. He felt that warmth in his heart once more and looked around just in time to see a Keyblade fly up and float in front of him. It wasn’t just any Keyblade, however, this one was… Familiar. 

 

It looked like a certain Keyblade that a certain someone used to open a portal for him not that long ago. 

 

Sora’s eyes widened and he reached out towards the Keyblade, grasping it in his hand. In an instant, flashes of someone’s memories almost like slides in a projector moved throughout his mind. 

 

It was your memories.

 

This was your Keyblade.

 

What was only actually a few seconds felt like years as Sora lived through your life. He saw each moment you spent back in your home… In Daybreak Town with your friends and Ephemer and Skuld. 

 

Then he saw memories of the time he spent with you in the Final World, reliving each bond you formed with each other. 

 

_ “I miss the different types of day.” You admitted, looking back up at the sky. “I miss stars… And sunsets… And I miss ice cream.” _

 

_ Sora glanced at you, eyebrow raised teasingly. “Ice cream?” _

 

_ “Yeah!” You laughed. “There was this one I shared with Chirithy one time… I can’t remember what it was but… It was salty, yet sweet. I’ve never been able to find one that I’ve loved more than that one.” _

 

Your laugh rang in his ears as his mind was tossed into another memory. It was like the world around him moved fast pace with glimpses of the two of you moving and conversing, like someone pressed the fast forward button on a remote and didn’t know how to stop. 

 

_ “Hey wanna play hide and seek?” You suddenly asked. Sora looked at you, both confused and intrigued. When he took too long to answer you sighed, a small smirk on your face. “Winner gets a pretty sweet reward!”  _

 

_ That lit his eyes up and your smirk widened at his childish demeanor. “What is it?!” He exclaimed, already getting up on his feet. You followed suit, dusting off your clothes.  _

 

_ You pressed your finger against your lips and winked. “It’s a secret!”  _

 

And each memory that he was pulled towards always ended with your gaze towards him and you calling out his name.

 

_ “Sora?” _

 

His name when you called out to him in surprise when he came back the first time.

 

_ “S-Sora…” _

 

His name choked out as you cried your heart out in relief.

 

_ “Sora…” _

 

His name during those small moments where you two would sit in silence.

 

_ “Sora!”  _

 

The Keyblade wielder was thrust back into the present, eyes widening as he felt something wet trail down his cheeks. You had talked about your past before, about the war and your fate at the end of it all… But it was only now that he realized the gravity of what you lost because of all of it. 

 

Your home… Your friends… Your life…

 

And even now you still were searching, searching to find what you had lost, what you waited for all those years. Sora gripped your Keyblade in his hand and it felt almost like all the other Keyblades around him reacted in turn.    
  
None of it was in vain, though. Sora knew that for sure. The time you lived… The time you spent forming bonds with other Keyblade wielders from other Unions wasn’t wasted. Your heart touched so many people and even now they were still bonded to you. So many names ran through Sora’s mind with each strike that fell on the large mass of Heartless and with each name that disappeared after each attack, a single phrase sung in his heart.

 

_ Thank you. _

 

_ Thank you. _

 

_ Thank you. _

 

——

 

When the mass of Heartless disappeared tears were still rolling down Sora’s cheeks. His heart was touched by all the Keyblade wielders who helped him in that moment, touched by you and all you’ve done while you were still alive. Taking a deep breath he wiped his tears away and gripped his keyblade ever so tighter. There was still things he had to do. 

 

And while Sora didn’t know it yet, there were still things he was going to cry over.

 

——

 

_ Why did things always happen this way? _

 

They won the battle… But at what cost? Kairi was gone and there was nothing that Sora could do about it… Xehanort took her from them so easily, as if she was nothing but a paperweight torn to pieces. Though the tears were long gone, Sora still felt his heart grow heavy. 

 

_ “That power is dangerous, especially when used to traverse worlds to reach hearts rather than the other way around. So don’t… Don’t be too careless about it, alright?” _

 

Your words still rang in his mind. You told him to be careful. Yen Sid told him to be careful. Even the King… And yet… 

 

When Mickey finally let out that relieved statement, that everything was finally over, Sora took a deep breath and clenched his chest. “...No.” He didn’t need to look at everyone to see their smiles turn into frowns of concern. He could feel the eyes of everyone on his back. 

 

“We’ll find Kairi. Let’s head back to Master Yen Sid. We can figure it out.” Riku reassured. Sora appreciated his attempts to comfort him, but his mind was already made up. This wasn’t just about Kairi, he still had another promise to fulfill.

 

“No, I know what to do.” Sora turned to the rest of the group, a sad smile on his face. “My whole journey began the day I lost her. Because of her, I was able to go on this amazing journey and met so many people. I even met someone special, someone I forgot about long ago. I met them before but every time we meet… They slip away again. For Kairi when we were all here for the final battle, I thought we’d all finally be together, but her and that other person… That person I made a promise to, are out there alone. Not for one more second. They don’t deserve to hurt any longer.”

 

He saw all of the Keyblade wielders look at each other in confusion. Donald and Goofy exchanged looks before Goofy spoke up. “Sora? Who is this other-”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Roxas placed a hand on Goofy’s shoulder to stop him. He looked over at Ventus and Xion, the two of them nodding in understanding before turning to Sora and smiling. “Go ahead then. They’re waiting for you.” Xion spoke up. 

 

“And tell them hi for us.” Ventus chuckled. Sora’s lips broke out into a smile and he nodded confidently. He wasn’t sure why but, he felt like Roxas, Xion and Ventus knew exactly who the special person he was talking about was.

 

Mickey’s eyes looked between the three and Sora worriedly. “Sora, listen. The power of waking isn’t to go chase hearts around! Even if you do locate Kairi, you might never be able to come home again!”

 

“I will. And we’ll all be back before you know it.” Sora reassured, feeling a sure of courage from his other halves. He didn’t notice it, but Riku tensed for a slight moment before relaxing. He looked over at his best friend, watching him walk up to Mickey and bend down to place a hand on his shoulder.

 

Riku’s face looked sad but when he looked over at Sora, it was full of acceptance. “Let him go, Mickey… His heart and his mind are made up.” He smiled sadly. “Now believe in him…”

 

Mickey looked at Riku then sighed. “Right….” He looked back at the islander boy, now mirroring that same sad smile. “Safe journey, Sora.”

 

——

 

You don’t know when you drifted off the sleep and didn’t know for exactly how long you had been asleep. With how time ran here, it was hard to keep track. You lazily blinked your eyes open and sat up, another yawn building up before stretching. Your joints let out a satisfying pop before you laid back down on the watery floor.

 

What you weren’t expecting to see when you laid down was the spiky brown hair and smiling blue eyes of someone familiar.

 

“WOAH!” you exclaimed, sitting right back up and turning to the new person. “S-Sora!?”

 

He laughed, hands on his knees to look you in the face. “[y/n], you silly goose.” He said affectionately. 

 

“You… You’re already back? But how…? You didn’t…?” Your eyes widened fear and you reached out, grabbing his cheeks and pulling at them. He let out a yelp, swatting your hands away and pouting as he rubbed his cheeks. No, he was actually here… And had his whole body in one piece to boot. What was this feeling you were getting from his heart though? Why did it feel so much more secure here than before?

 

Sora continued to pout, glaring at you. “What kind of welcome back is that? I worked hard to come back to the one I love, y’know.” 

 

Your cheeks flushed a bright red. Right, when he left you both… The two of you… 

 

You felt a small poke on your cheek and another chuckle. “Cute~” Sora said in a singsong voice. When did his face get so close to yours?! 

 

“S-STOP DODGING THE QUESTION!” You exclaimed, placing a hand on his face and promptly shoving him away. “Why does everything feel so different? Why does it feel like your heart… Is more bound to the Final World than before? And the final battle? Your duty? If it is complete… Why are you…?” As you rambled on, the pieces started to fall in place. There was only one way for Sora to securely stay here… Only one thing to bind his heart to this purgatory. “N-No… No no no, Sora please  _ please _ don’t tell me you did what I think you did!” 

 

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close as you searched his face for an answer you already knew. Despite the panic in your eyes, he had a soft smile on his face and looked entirely calm. “I used the Power of Waking to save Kairi… And then come back to you.” He said simply.

 

“But your friends… Your home…” You said helplessly.

 

Sora shook his head, his arms wrapping tighter around you. “Not for one more second.” He said. “You don’t deserve one more second to be alone. I kept a promise to you when I visited you those years before I left you, that I would bring you back home with me. Didn’t I already tell you to believe in me?”

 

Those last words made you freeze up. “You… You remember…? Everything…?” You whispered.

 

He nodded, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead against yours. He soaked up your warmth, giving you another squeeze just to make sure that you wouldn’t disappear in his arms like you had so many times before. “I was there… Where you died.” He said softly. “And when I had lost all hope… Your Keyblade called out to me. Your  _ heart _ guided me away from the darkness.” He explained. “I saw it… All of it… Your memories of your friends, of Ephemer, of Skuld… Of us… And all of the people who’s hearts you touched.”

 

Sora opened his eyes, reaching a hand up to stroke your cheek. “They  _ spoke _ to me [y/n]. All those hearts that connected with yours so long ago were by your side all this time. That is why you were bound to place, because so many hearts touched yours that your heart couldn’t possibly go to all those worlds at once. They were so  _ thankful _ for all you did. They helped bring me  _ back _ to you.”

 

You couldn’t process what all of this meant. Your heart… Was connected to everyone…? All your past friends and people you helped…? The ache in your chest started to grow but for the first time… It wasn’t painful. It felt… Warm and full of so much love and care. You were never truly forgotten…?

 

“Oh, I also have a message for you.” Sora said, pulling away from you a little. “An old friend told me to tell you this.” He smiled at your confused expression, clearing his throat.  _ “I’m sorry that I never met you at the fountain that day. I’m happy you found someone new to care for. I wish the best for you.” _

 

Your eyes widened and you felt your breath hitch up in your throat. Your hands went up to your mouth to try and cover the sob that choked out. That old promise that was broken… It wasn’t forgotten after all. All this time Ephemer never truly forgot about you… And now, you were finally able to move on.

 

Sora let out a sound of panic, pulling you close again. His hand rested on the back of your head, pressing your face into his chest. “Agh… I promised that I wouldn’t make you cry and look at what I’ve done…”

 

As you sobbed, you couldn’t help but choke out a laugh. You shook your head, subtly wiping some of your tears on Sora’s shirt as you pulled away to look up at him. Despite the tears in your eyes, a smile was on your lips. “No… These are happy tears. I’m just so relieved now. I thought everyone left me but… They were still thinking of me, even now… I’m no longer alone”

 

Sora smiled back, pressing a gently kiss on your forehead. “I promised you, remember? You would no longer be alone.”

 

_ Kiss me once _

 

You laughed and nodded, cupping Sora’s face in both your hands. “That you did.” You whispered softly. “You… Are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Sora. I… I love you…”

 

_ Kiss me twice _

 

His eyes widened at your words, a shy, nervous chuckle building up in his throat as a soft pink dusted his cheeks. “Y-Yeah… I… I love you too, [y/n].” He replied back. 

 

_ Kiss me three times _

 

When your eyes met his and your lips connected, you realized that for the first time since you had been the Final World that you had never felt so much closer to the sky until now.

 

_ Cross the line. _

 

——

 

_ Water. _

 

_ Concrete. _

 

_ Lights. _

 

You slowly stood up from the ground, seeing streets that stretched on for miles.

 

_ Wait, streets? _

 

Your eyes widened as you looked around you, a laugh starting to bubble up in your throat. Your hands went up, almost unable to keep the giddy feeling in your chest from spilling over.

 

You were out.

 

You were no longer in the Final World.

 

“Sora! Sora we did it!” You exclaimed, looking around wildly for your companion. “Sora…?” Your voice trailed off as you realized that you were all alone. No one was walking the streets and all that there was were the bright, neon lights that reflected off of the puddles of water on the ground. You looked up at the sky, eyes trailing up the tall buildings until they landed on a lone figure standing at the edge of one of the skyscrapers. You watched as the figure cloaked in black raised their hands up, forming some sort of symbol with your hands that you couldn’t see from your angle.

 

But you recognized that figure. Though you never met them in person, you were taught enough by the Foretellers who this was. This person… Who had disappeared centuries upon centuries ago…

 

“The… Master of Masters?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe that this is all over! I want to thank all my readers again for this crazy and amazing journey! It was hard to get this chapter out because I wanted to make sure that it left a satisfying ending for everyone so I hope that this is more than enough!  
> Once again you want the full playlist for this fanfic you can listen to it here by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw4EKhcS6VZj1xyzFGifyq8bttBfyvSKl
> 
> And if you ever want to hear more from me as well as other fics I might write in the future feel free to follow me @Cherniro on Twitter and Instagram! I draw a lot of art on there as well! 
> 
> Thank you all again for following me on this journey and may your heart be your guiding key!


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